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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23025583">Duel of the Fates</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatuuPrincess/pseuds/BatuuPrincess'>BatuuPrincess</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Based off the Trevorrow Script, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Mutual Pining, That's Not How The Force Works</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:41:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>75,699</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23025583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatuuPrincess/pseuds/BatuuPrincess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A fanfiction adaptation of Colin Trevorrow's Episode IX script, Duel of the Fates.</p><p>The iron grip of the FIRST ORDER has spread to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Only a few scattered planets remain unoccupied. Traitorous acts are punishable by death.</p><p>Determined to suffocate a growing unrest, Supreme Leader KYLO REN has silenced all communication between neighboring systems.</p><p>Led by GENERAL LEIA ORGANA, the Resistance has planned a secret mission to prevent their annihilation and forge a path to freedom…</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Poe Dameron/Rey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>790</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>359</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I Voted for the Other Plan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Some notes to get out of the way:</p><p>I'm "adapting" the supposed leaked Colin Trevorrrow script so this is going to follow very closely. Sometimes exactly. Yes, even dialogue, though I am changing it here and there to make it work a little better. If you've read it, you should recognize a lot here, though naturally, I'm filling things out and changing a couple plot points to better suit my needs.</p><p>Like the script, this is Damerey endgame. If you're here for something else, I'm sorry, but this is Damerey all the way.</p><p>My goal is to have updates every Thursday; however, there will most likely be a delay in late April/early May due to vacation.</p><p>With that out of the way, I'm unbelievably excited to start sharing this story, and I hope you enjoy the ride!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A bead of sweat inched down Poe’s spine, its lazy progress ending only when it disappeared into his waistband. They were packed into the hold like animals, and the reek of unwashed bodies was already threatening to overpower him. For a second, he wobbled, his vision flickering before coming back into focus. There was no air back here, and the thick cloak was certainly not helping the situation. Determined to stay on his feet, Poe gripped the strap in front of him that much tighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Across the hold, Finn stood at attention, seemingly unbothered by their current conditions. Then again, he supposed Finn was used to the cramped feeling, First Order troop transports being what they were. Though Poe would have given anything to breathe in the slightly noxious fumes of fresh plastoid armor right about then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An eternity passed before Poe felt the familiar swoop in his stomach, the transport dipping into the atmosphere and letting gravity take hold once more. There were no viewports in the dismal ship, so Poe was just as surprised as the rest of them when they hit the ground. The landing would have sent him to his knees had there been so much as a centimeter of floor space to spare. As such, he simply knocked into the Gamorrean next to him, the mass of bodies holding them both upright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nearly wept when the ramp finally lowered, sucking in a fresh blast of air while a group of troopers herded them towards the ever-growing line at the checkpoint. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things were about to get interesting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything had to be timed just right, all parts of the plan working in perfect concert for this to succeed. Even in the cooler air, Poe began to sweat. He looked heavenward, toward the orbital ring where BB-8 was hopefully infiltrating the main computer disguised in the graphite and black the First Order was so fond of, opening doors and bypassing scanners. That is, if he hadn’t been caught. A shiver went through him at the thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t that he didn’t have faith in Rose and his droid. In fact, the opposite was true. He’d trust either of them with his life. It was just that this plan required, among other things, a whole lot of luck, and it seemed like the Resistance was fresh out of that these days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The five years since Crait had been rough on their ragged little band of Resistance fighters. While their numbers had grown, so had the First Order’s, and out of the chaos borne of the Hosnian Cataclysm a new Empire had risen, taking over every system until there was nothing outside of their punishing control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Labor camps, prison worlds, public executions, these were the new realities of the galaxy, every day bringing a fresh horror courtesy of the Supreme Leader and his Chancellor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo Ren - or should he say Supreme Leader Kylo Ren - was really outdoing himself these days. One tiny uprising on Hays Minor (courtesy of Rose and her contacts, of course) and he shut down all long-range communications across the galaxy. Talk about a temper.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though it had been done in the Supreme Leader’s name, this whole thing screamed of Hux, the Chancellor of their fledgling Empire turning particularly ruthless after Snoke’s death. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though Poe supposed the biggest surprise of all was that the two hadn’t managed to kill each other in the five years since Kylo Ren’s ascension. He had a feeling it had something to do with the rumors that Ren had taken a step back from the Empire, spending his time in the Unknown Regions looking for answers to questions as old as the galaxy itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A familiar presence materialized at his left hand side as they made their slow progress toward the scanners, the rags on his back doing little to hide Finn’s unmistakable form.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even Poe had to admit they’d been lucky so far, despite the delay. It had taken longer than expected to work their way onto one of the ships bound for the migrant camps on Kuat, but here they were. And in the scheme of things, what was two extra weeks over the course of a war? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Checkpoint. Keep your head down,” murmured Finn, barely audible over the din of the crowd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe swore he could feel the other man’s tension as he nodded his head, keeping a wary eye on what was quickly becoming a bottleneck up ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed they weren’t the only two on edge as a shouting match broke out in front of them, the shouting quickly turning to shoving as more and more species joined in the fray.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A Trandoshan knocked into Finn, sending him stumbling back into the ragged looking Drovian male behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Drovian growled, Finn’s eyes going wide at his bared teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, hey,” he said, lifting both hands in a pacifying gesture. “No trouble here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently that was the wrong thing to say as the Drovian immediately closed his pincers around Finn’s throat, lifting him off the ground like he weighed nothing more than a loth-cat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trouble! TROUBLE!” Finn managed to grunt out, his hands trying to grapple with the three-pronged pincer to no avail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With one hand, Poe dug a dried fish from his pouch - remnants of the hasty lunch they were provided before boarding the ship - the other hand firmly on the blaster hidden between the folds of his long cloak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here,” he said, offering the fish to the Drovian, “couldn’t finish it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a tense moment when the Drovian’s golden eyes looked between the fish and Finn as if deciding which he wanted as a snack before he dropped Finn and devoured the fish in one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe released a shaky breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn dropped to the ground, coughing and sputtering and grabbing at his throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” said Poe, extending a hand to get Finn to his feet before ushering him forward in the line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was your big plan, rescuing me with a fish?” spat out Finn, his voice hoarse in the crowd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked around, making sure they weren’t being watched, before brushing back one of the folds of his cloak to reveal the blaster still gripped in his hand for a second before covering it back up. “Satisfied?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” They moved up another step. “How will we know if BB-8 hacked the mainframe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alarms blared from the scanners in front of them, stormtroopers rushing toward a terrified Gotal gesturing wildly at his metallic horns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe closed his eyes as blaster bolts rang out, the stench of scorched fur reaching his nostrils.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he opened his eyes, the Gotal was being dragged off, chest still smoking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to look at Finn’s darkened expression. “Oh, I think we’ll know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just like that, they were next in line, Poe’s heart thundering somewhere in his throat as they stepped into the scanner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a buzz, and for a split second Poe thought their luck had finally run out before the machine gave a sputtering whine and powered down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe exchanged a look with Finn as two stormtroopers approached, barrels of their blasters still smoking slightly. Sweat gathered along his hairline while they conferred, the one on the left smacking the machine once, twice, three times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scanner whirred to life overhead, the troopers motioning them through when no alarm sounded. “Move along.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to him, Finn exhaled audibly, Poe elbowing him as they walked through the border walls of the camp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was gonna kiss that droid of his when they all got back to base.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The camp was massive, a sprawling patchwork of temporary dwellings that stretched as far as the eye could see. Beings of every species stood huddled in front of trash bin fires, trying to stave off the brisk winds of Kuat’s harsh winter while the orbital ring with its skeletal Star Destroyers stood watch over all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everywhere Poe looked, there was more misery to be had, children shivering in rags, men and women half-starved and freezing in the streets. Squads of stormtroopers patrolled the makeshift streets, workers fleeing to the relative safety of their huts. A blaster bolt rang out. Babies screamed and women wailed. Not for the first time he wondered how this could be better than wherever they came from. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They worked their way further into the camp, the stench of unwashed bodies and unidentified cooking meat haunting their every step. Poe’s stomach churned as they passed the small spit turning over a trash can fire. Kowakian monkey-lizard. A shiver went up his spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bright splashes of paint drew his eye away from the macabre sight, symbols from all of the galaxy peppering the huts in a cacophony of color, obviously the work of amateur artists (or bored teenagers). As they walked, he picked out more than one First Order insignia, a very stylized take on a rathtar, even a series of loth-cats in repose, but when they came up to a smoldering pile of twisted metal, he found the most interesting one yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, poking out of the rubble, were the unmistakable curves and points of the Alliance Starbird. Even now, hope still lived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This way,” said Finn, leading him past a large hovel decorated with a rough drawing of a mythosaur and deeper into the alley behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe was acutely aware of all the eyes on them, the migrants inherently mistrusting newcomers. Work and food were always scarce, so more mouths meant more competition. Poe couldn’t blame them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though he could still feel uneasy as a lone Tusken Raider watched their progress from the shadows of one of the more ramshackle huts, a makeshift staff poking out from behind his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But all thoughts of the Tusken were banished when Poe finally locked eyes with a furry Ryn outside a small shop, the walls of which looked more permanent than anything else around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ryn tapped his cheek, Finn nodding once before they followed him inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe had enough time to take in the strange, hairless child hanging from something that looked suspiciously like an animal stomach and a female working at a lathe before a familiar face emerged from the beaded curtain separating the back room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said two days; I’ve been here two weeks,” said Rose, her tone all business.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe laughed. “Good to see you too, Rose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She huffed at him, but looked no worse for the wear, the off-white sleeves of her shirt rolled up to reveal pale forearms, marked here and there with the occasional healed burn or spot of grease.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without further ado, she unfurled a huge, canvas map on the main worktable, the ends curling off the edge. It was the surface of the planet, the migrant camp they were currently standing in marked by a giant square, the surrounding landscape dotted with factories and settlements between large swaths of forest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is our access point,” she said, pointing to a circle simply labeled </span>
  <em>
    <span>SHAFT. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She placed a small holochip over the mark. With the flick of a switch, the orbital ring flickered to life in holographic form, the massive powershaft that connected it to the planet lining up perfectly with the marking. “This powershaft delivers raw ore to the orbital ring. A detonation directly into the energy stream, here, will cause a chain reaction-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hit another button and a small red dot traveled up the shaft and triggered a series of explosions that decimated the entire ring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe blinked as holographic debris floated through the air. “-And take the whole thing down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Along with their new fleet,” added Finn, eyes trained on the hole in the ceiling and the orbital ring beyond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A quick and dirty count yielded a dozen Star Destroyers attached to the ring overhead, with another dozen or so likely out of view. Now those were some results Poe could get behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grudgingly, Poe dragged his attention back to Rose. “How do we know they haven’t detected BB-8’s signature up there? That they aren’t waiting for us to make our move?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose shook her head. “I doubt you would have gotten this far if they were on to us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a lot we don’t know,” said Poe, crossing his arms and starting to pace in the cramped little room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That goes for any plan.” Rose hit a button and the orbital ring disappeared. “And we all voted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and I voted for the other plan,” answered Poe. There were too many variables, far too many ways for this to go wrong. After the madness on D’Qar and Crait, he’d become more cautious, apparently overly so if the looks on Finn and Rose’s faces were any indication.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. “This is when we second guess the plan? Right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, we can take out the enemy’s fuel source and be light years away before they know what hit them.” Rose looked to Poe, eyes determined in the light of the hologram. “But we have to move now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The weight of Finn’s gaze joined Rose’s as they awaited orders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe scrubbed a hand over his face. It was his call. Not for the first time, he wished that the mantle of leadership fell on anyone’s shoulders but his. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, they said, not that he was anything approaching royalty. No, that was Leia’s burden, but as her second in command, he shared that weight far too often these days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked skyward again, the sight of all those Star Destroyers just ripe for the picking strengthening his otherwise shaky resolve. “Okay, let’s blow this thing and go home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Decision made, they wasted no time, Rose packing her things in a flurry of movement. She paused only briefly to thank her hosts, speaking in a low, unfamiliar language before leading Finn and Poe out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The camp was much as they’d left it, though there was a new, sharper edge to Poe’s fear now that they’d decided to do this. It was all in his head, logically he knew that, but there was no shaking the feeling of eyes on them as they made their way toward the base of the powershaft. Looking over his shoulder, he wore he caught another glimpse of that Tusken Raider from earlier, but when he blinked, the cloaked figure was nowhere to be found.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose elbowed him back to attention, handing over a small comm unit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked at her, brows raised in question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our man on the inside,” she simply said, a knowing smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He snatched the comm out of her hand. “BB-8?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A string of binary came over the device, the beeps and warbles soothing something inside Poe he hadn’t even realized was frayed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, how he’d missed the little droid. Even the way he tended to get underfoot when Poe and Rey...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe shook his head, as if to clear the thought from his mind. Now was definitely </span>
  <span>not </span>
  <span>the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good to hear your voice, buddy,” he said, pausing to listen to BeeBee. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught another glimpse of those dust-colored robes, the Tusken hovering just out of sight. Not good. “Don’t worry, I’m still alive.” He waited for another flurry of beeps. “Hey, watch it! I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.” A doubtful beep. “Just unlock the powershaft doors and get ready with that shuttle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They finally found themselves in the shadow of the massive shaft, a small durasteel hut providing coverage as they assessed the situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It appeared the main doors were guarded by three grey-armored mechtroopers. Three. </span>
  <span>How careless the First Order had grown, so certain of their absolute control of the camp that they’d deemed three troopers sufficient protection for their greatest asset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, their hubris would be the Resistance’s gain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, BB-8!” Poe whisper-shouted into the comms, the doors whirring open a second later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As one, the troopers turned in confusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he never finished the thought, Poe coming up behind him and knocking him out cold with the butt of his hidden blaster. </span>
  <span>Finn and Rose made quick work of the other two, electro-prods sparking as the troopers sank like stones to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” said Rose, leading them deeper into the base. There was no time to waste pulling the troopers out of sight. The First Order would know soon enough what they were doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The building was empty, save for the giant cylinder of bright blue light disappearing into the sky. Poe looked up, the beam connecting the core of the planet to the orbital ring above, a straight shot into the heart of First Order operations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to Finn and Rose, their faces lit up a matching blue as they gazed up at the powershaft. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reaching into his cloak, he grabbed a thermal detonator. “Ok, we’ll have twenty seconds before detonation,” he said, handing it to Rose. “Give or take.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give or take how long?” Rose’s voice was sceptical as she accepted the explosive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe handed the second one to Finn. “Long enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keeping one for himself, Poe weighed it in his hand, attempting to judge the amount of force he’d need. “Nice and easy,” he said, more to himself than anyone else, “just like pitching pilmetto stick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn came up behind him. “Pilmetto stick? We didn’t have-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe hit the activation, the charge buzzing to life in his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re doing this right now?!” Finn’s voice was slightly panicked as Poe tossed the charge into the stream, the little sphere hovering for a second before being swept up and out of sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose followed suit, her detonator making a perfect arc before disappearing into the particle stream. Poe made a mental note. Rose would make one hell of a pitcher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe started toward the door, realizing a second later that Finn wasn’t with them. “Uh, anytime now, buddy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn stood frozen for a second before chucking his own charge into the powershaft and taking off after them, a simple yet effective approach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bombs away, BB-8!” Poe shouted into the comms as they ran. They only had seconds left. “We’ll meet you at the relay point!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door was in sight, Poe picking up speed as they reached the exit…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only to skid to a stop when an entire unit of stormtroopers materialized in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drop your weapons!” shouted the leader, blaster raised and pointed at Poe’s chest. Behind him, a number of those grey mechtroopers filed in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe lifted his arms in surrender.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What now?” murmured Finn, his own arms above his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked up toward the orbital ring. “Distraction in three, two, one… now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them dove for the floor, Poe covering his head with his arms in anticipation of the explosion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One second passed. Then another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No explosion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any second now,” he half-prayed, ignoring the shouts of the troopers around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn and Rose exchanged a look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just then, a wail pierced through the crowd. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked up in enough time to see that Tusken work his way through the crowd, staff in hand. The troopers turned to see what the commotion was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the last mistake any of them made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Either end of the staff illuminated in brilliant, blue light, the movement as familiar to Poe as his own face in the mirror. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey,” he breathed, half word, half prayer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A second later, all hell broke loose.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Simple Thank You Would Do</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Finn, Poe, and Rose find themselves in trouble, Rey lends a hand. As our heroes make their escape, Admiral Vonn of the First Order does everything in his power to stop them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter 2! I'm having an amazing time writing this, so I truly hope you enjoy it as much as I do.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Rey leaned against a low duracrete wall, watching the trio of dropships make their approach. The camp seemed to shiver with anticipation. Fresh meat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Much like all the others she’d seen over her tenure at Camp Kuat (as the locals called it), the dropships were pristine, their dark perfection completely at odds with the disheveled cargo they disgorged daily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They came from all over the galaxy, surrendering in exchange for scraps of food and the First Order’s supposed protection. A better life is what they were promised, hot meals and safety from the war at large, though the bitter truth was that most would die here in squalor, little more than slaves. And there was nothing she could do about it. At least, not alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What good was it being the last Jedi if you couldn’t actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>change</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey set her frustrations aside. That was the entire point of the Resistance, the goal they were all working for, to free the galaxy from the First Order. She just had to be patient.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And patience was not one of Rey’s strengths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking of patience, her eyes combed over the newcomers, the goggles in her disguise letting her focus on them one-by-one as they left the ships. She’d been here for a little over a week and there was still no sign of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two days that this mission was supposed to take passed with no word from either Finn or Poe, then four, then Gods knew how many before Rey grew impatient with waiting and decided to take matters into her own hands. It was easy enough to make it through the checkpoint with the help of her little trick, a wave of a hand and a few firm words granting her passage wherever she needed to go. Though it didn’t make her feel any less dirty for using it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey sighed. She really needed to get a handle on that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now was not the time to worry about her flirtations with the dark side, not when a familiar shape had emerged from the center ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even dressed head to toe in a long set of robes, she’d recognize him anywhere. She watched from her spot near the wall as he stumbled off the ramp and into the weak sunlight, her heart squeezing with something akin to fondness when he looked around a second later to make sure no one had noticed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there, a few steps behind him trailed Finn, the rags he wore doing little to hide the muscle he’d put on over the last few years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together, they joined the growing lines at the checkpoint, waiting their turn to be scanned into the camp by one of the bored-looking stormtroopers. Even from here, she could feel the tension mounting, the migrants growing restless as they made their way inch-by-inch to the scanners. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So it was no surprise when a scuffle broke out below, a couple of Devaronians sending a Trandoshan careening into Finn. Rey watched in slow motion as he lost his balance, stumbling back until he bounced off the broad chest of a rather vicious-looking Drovian.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a movement almost too swift to follow, Finn’s feet left the ground, held aloft by the pincers clamped around his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Automatically reaching for the staff strapped to her back, Rey started forward. So much for her cover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her feet stalled a second later when Poe stepped forward, somehow managing to defuse the situation with little more than an old fish and a few calm words. She let the staff drop against her spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he somehow still didn’t believe her about the Force.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe liked to call himself lucky, but Rey knew better. There was luck, and then there was what Poe had, an almost uncanny ability to get out of trouble that had saved his skin (and hers) on more than one occasion. Yes, the Force smiled warmly on Poe Dameron, a fact that even the man himself was hard pressed to deny. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alarms rang out, dragging her attention back to the scanners. Someone shouted and then the scream of blaster bolts rent the air, a young Gotal laying dead on the ground when the dust settled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe and Finn stepped up, next in line for the checkpoint.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If anything had gone wrong, if one of the hundreds of moving pieces in this plan had been missed, there was nothing she could do, they’d be dead before she could even ignite her saber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart beat in her throat as they stepped into the scanners.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of confusion as the stormtroopers conferred, one of them smacking the machine before waving Finn and Poe through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey loosed a shaky breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was no time to savor that relief, not when Finn and Poe were already picking their way through the camp. They’d be looking for Rose and her accomplices in Sector 2A, the Ryn family that ran the machine shop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though Rey had crossed paths with the tiny former mechanic on more than one occasion during her time on Kuat, Rose remained none the wiser. It was safer for everyone involved if Rey never showed her face. The Last Jedi carried a hefty price on her head, and anyone caught aiding her would find their lives forfeit. She supposed anyone found harboring any member of the Resistance would find their lives forfeit, Rey just happened to be the most recognizable (and hated) among them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except maybe Poe. They had a real thing about his hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking of Poe, he chose that moment to turn and look directly at her, a spark of recognition sprinting through her veins. Without thinking, she dropped further into the shadow of an old shipping-container-turned-hut, watching as Poe dragged his eyes from her disguised form and toward a male Ryn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>According to her intel, he was Biss Kova, proprietor of said shop and Resistance sympathizer. He and his family had provided Rose shelter during her time on planet, his shop acting as the center of all rebel activity on Kuat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey watched as they disappeared into the building, nothing for her to do now but wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Five minutes passed, and then ten, time inching by as Rey stood waiting. This was always the worst part, the inaction while plans were drawn up and solidified. Energy crackled along her limbs, that deep knowledge that something was about to happen leaving her restless. She took a lap, narrowly avoiding one of the roving stormtroopers patrols. Not that they would have stopped her. Even the First Order hesitated to take on a Tusken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed like everyone was on edge as she walked through the camp, tensions looking to boil over no matter where she went. A group of teenagers eying the stormtroopers in front of one of the food carts. The shifty eyed men passing a flask of something between them. A group of women in rags whispering among them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This place was ready to blow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still no sign of them when she made it back to the little shop, Rey worried that she’d missed them for a second before a familiar voice reached her ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good to hear your voice, buddy,” said Poe as he, Finn, and Rose made their way through the camp. The answering beeps made her smile under her mask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She kept her distance, trailing them all the way to the base of the powershaft. Three mechtroopers stood guard, their heavy rifles lowered while they shot the breeze. Rey looked to her friends. Surely they couldn’t mean to…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They could and they did, Poe leading the charge with a concussive hit to the leader’s helmet. He went down with an unholy clatter, Finn and Rose taking care of his companions with well placed shocks from their electro-prods before all three disappeared into the open door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for the commotion to draw the attention of one of the patrols.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on here?” said the leader, his red pauldron scuffed and peeling. Not all up to First Order standards. “Call it in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s heart thundered in her chest. They were taking too long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need backup at the shaft base. Repeat, all units to the shaft base.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up toward the orbital ring, still intact. Oh gods, where were they?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Troopers flooded the area, the street a sea of dingy white plastoid. A small contingent of the grey mechtroopers hovered in back, surveying the scene.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were the ones to watch out for, their specialized training making them better shots than their white counterparts. Not great shots, but better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe, Finn, and Rose slid into sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As one, the waiting contingent raised their blasters. “Drop your weapons!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three sets of arms went in the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was too far to hear any discussion between them, but without warning Poe dove for the floor, Finn and Rose following a second after.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A second passed when the stormtroopers were too confused to do anything besides stare at them before one of the mechtroopers bellowed, “What are you waiting for, SHOOT THEM!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt Poe’s panic as if it were her own, heard his words as if they’d been whispered directly into her ear. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Any second now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The realization hit her with chilling certainty. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever they were waiting for wasn’t coming to save them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could see it as if it was unfolding in front of her own two eyes. Urged on by a blind fervor instilled from birth, the stormtroopers took aim. Fingers tensed over triggers. There would be no prisoners.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone she loved would be dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey loosed an unholy wail, the sound echoing back at her from every direction. The staff was in her hand as soon as she thought of it, twin blades igniting before the troopers could even turn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her name sounded like a prayer on his lips. “Rey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That single word was all she needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It came as naturally to her as breathing these days, her body knowing what to do even when her mind struggled to keep up. The staff was a weapon of her own design, carefully crafted by her own two hands. One trooper fell and then another, arms and legs and saber moving in perfect concert to clear a path to her friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Distantly, she noticed the sweat gathering under her mask and the breath burning in her lungs, but all that was secondary as she made her way toward her friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blaster bolts came from all sides as Finn, Rose, and Poe joined the fray, bodies dropping around them until they were the last ones standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s mask hit the ground with a solid thud, her chest heaving with the exertion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn was the first to speak, his eyes going wide. “What are you doing here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning she spun, the long robes slipping from her shoulders as she brought her saber up in enough time to block a stray laser bolt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A simple ‘thank you’ would do,” she replied, turning back to face her friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no time for her to savor the hungry look on Poe’s face or the shock and delight on Rose’s, not when more and more troopers flooded the area, blasters raised and set to kill. With a grunt, she flung her saber out, the weapon spinning round and round in a perfect arc through the little plaza, soldiers falling everywhere the blades touched. Putting up a hand, she called the staff back, not feeling whole until it smacked against the calluses on her palm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt right in her hand in a way Anakin’s never had. That was an elegant weapon from a more civilized time. But much like its owner, the saberstaff was a little rough around the edges, pieces of her old Jakku staff cobbled together with the remainder of the Skywalker saber to create something new, something wholly Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And when she wielded it, it was like an extension of her body, the movements as automatic and easy as breathing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But even so, the stormtroopers kept coming, forcing them to take refuge behind a grouping of power converters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t have come here!” Poe shouted over the laser fire, his back pressed against hers. He leaned around far enough to take out a trooper before ducking back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey shook her head. “You’d rather be killed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it kept you safe!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked over her shoulder at the same time Poe looked over his, eyes meeting for a single interminable second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now’s not the time,” she said, distantly registering the blaster bolts and Finn and Rose’s shouts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not the time,” he agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked away in just enough time to see the unit of grey troopers headed for them, hand coming up automatically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A thrum of power pulsed through her and the troopers scattered and fell as if thrown back by a phantom wind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The move did not go unnoticed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jedi! Jedi!” came the shouts of children from the streets, their parents and other migrants coming to see what all the commotion was about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe turned to her, eyes wide. “Oh, kriff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, that word was enough to draw every stormtrooper on the planet to them like scavenger moths to a flame, white and grey alike flooding the surrounding streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s heart sank. There were too many. Not even she could pull out a victory when they were outnumbered 20 to one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked from Finn to Poe to Rose, the determination set on their faces as they raised their weapons and squared their shoulders. They would make their last stand here. Together. Rey turned, lightsaber at the ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a hollow thunk as rock hit plastoid, one stormtrooper stumbling back a step.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there, standing down the First Order with a second stone in hand, stood a grizzled old woman, 80 if she was a day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joined a second later by a laborer, his scaled body gleaming in the weak sunlight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And a couple of teens, their matching faces marking them brothers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And a mother, her child still in her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And another, and another, and another, until there were too many to count, a veritable wall between them and the stormtroopers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They swung hammers and threw rocks, hit with fists and feet, banded together in a way Rey had rarely seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A revolution.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the blast door. “Rey, we gotta go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hesitated. They were fighting because of her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>For her.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “I have to help them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A TIE fighter screamed overhead, transports landing in the distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not here, not now,” he practically pleaded with her, eyes wide. “Please, Rey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the please that did it, and she let herself be herded into the blast doors, Rose sealing them as soon as they were through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn looked like he’d seen a ghost, but there was no time for her to ask when Rose was taking them deeper into the facility, stopping at what appeared to be a turbolift straight to the orbital ring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” said Rose, accessing a panel next to the screen. “This should take us straight up to the ring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside, the shouting and sounds of fighting grew louder. Her heart ached. They were running out of time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe dug an old comlink out of his pocket. “BB-8 we’re coming up to you. Plan’s gone sideways.” An incredulous beep met his words. “What do you mean you’re already on a shuttle?” Poe looked skyward, Rey following his eyes to a massive white ship above their heads. “We’re gonna need another ship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey knew the exact moment he decided, almost as if she could see the crazy idea taking form in his mind. “You’re not serious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn came up behind them. “That’s a dreadnaught. You can’t--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can fly anything.” Poe turned to look at him, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, guys?” Rose was looking at them from in front of the open turbolift doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They followed her into the turbolift, doors sealing behind them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose hit a button. “I’d hold on if I were you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Rey’s stomach dropped to the floor, she wasn’t sure if it was due to the way they rocketed up into the atmosphere or the warmth of Poe’s fingers as they sought her own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Those fucking rebels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Admiral Hamlen Vonn was just sitting down to a cup of tea when the news came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been such a good day. Numbers were up. A fresh batch of workers had just touched down. All hint of dissent had been squashed when they burned that wretched starbird to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe that clear message was why production was up, so much so that they were blasting through even the raised quotas that Hux had instituted last week. The Chancellor had seemed almost disappointed when he’d learned of Vonn’s success, as if he’d been looking forward to sending the Supreme Leader’s merry band of zealots to teach him a lesson.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Vonn had come out on top, and now was the time to celebrate. So, the tea was poured, milk and sugar added, and Vonn was just about to take that sweet first sip when his aide barged into his office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Admiral Vonn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn tensed, tea sloshing on to his usually pristine uniform.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This had better be life or death, Prine,” he barked, dabbing at the offending splotch with a handkerchief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, we have a bit of a situation at the powershaft base.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn turned to face the slightly shaking boy, a son of some well-to-do weapons manufacturer that he’d been stuck with. “What kind of a situation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems someone has taken out the guards.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn was on his feet instantly. “Well, why didn’t you start with that!” he shouted, stained uniform all but forgotten. “What are you waiting for, lead the way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind raced as they headed toward the command center. This had to be contained, there was no other option. He would not have the Knights of Ren here, messing with his outpost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Status report,” he bellowed as soon as he reached the center. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A junior officer answered. “Sir, it seems three mechtroopers were knocked out at the powershaft base.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I’m well aware. But what are we </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing </span>
  </em>
  <span>about that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back up has been called, and more troopers are on their way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was almost afraid to ask. “Who is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Resistance, Sir. The traitor FN-2187, Rose Tico, and Poe Dameron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dameron?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir. You know, the one with the…” the junior officer pointed toward his own closely shorn head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah, yes, the one with all that hair. Vonn put Poe Dameron and his curls out of his mind. “Do we know what they're trying to accomplish?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m detecting thermal detonators in the powershaft stream, heading our way.” A female officer answered from across the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Close the blast shields,” he ordered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tense five seconds passed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blast shields have contained the explosion, Admiral. All systems are stable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn couldn’t help but smirk. These pitiful rebels and their outdated tactics. What did they think this was, the Battle of Yavin?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And here he’d heard that the Tico woman was a force to be reckoned with, but she was as pathetic as the rest. It was almost disappointing. He’d been looking forward to a real challenge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you need me, I’ll be in my office.” He turned heel and was headed toward the doors when he heard shouts over the comms. He turned back toward the officers. “What is it now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The female officer turned, her face gone white. “Sir, it’s the last Jedi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn’s bowels turned to water, but he kept his voice even as he commanded, “Alert the Knights of Ren.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those fucking rebels.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Not the Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Poe, Finn, Rey, and Rose make their daring escape as the First Order does everything in its power to stop them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh hey, look at that, I'm one day early! Let's pretend that's not because I'm quarantined and days have lost all meaning so I thought today was Thursday.  Anywho, new chapter! The next few chapters really start to ramp the story up, so I hope you enjoy! </p><p>A warning: A minor character dies at the end, but I'm not particularly graphic about it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>This was not happening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn repeated it over and over again. This was not happening, this was not happening, this was not happening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had fallen asleep and this was a bad dream. Too much tea before bed, that was it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was bad enough that they had escaped the troopers on the surface, but now he was watching in near disbelief as they stole one of the maintenance vehicles and sped across the ring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are they doing?” he barked at nobody in particular as he watched the rebels’ progress on the viewscreen. </span>
  <span>But he didn’t need to wait for an answer, their harebrained plan dawning on him a second later. </span>
  <span>“They can’t possibly…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was proven wrong again a second later when they disappeared inside the docked destroyer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tech leaned over. “Sir, I believe they’re-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can bloody well see what they're doing!” he shouted in response. “How many men on that vessel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tech hit a few buttons, her face going white. “Just the bridge crew, sir. The rest are on dock leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn’s vision whited out for a second. There was no way they could do it, not with four of them. But still, this would certainly reach Chancellor Hux’s ears. And if they managed to steal…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. They would not steal a fucking dreadnaught on his watch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, systems are coming online.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind was made up, cold certainty sliding into his belly. This was not happening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fire on that ship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was almost too easy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe had been expecting to meet </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> resistance, either from his own people or in the form of the First Order’s security. Yet, as they stole a vehicle and raced across the orbital ring to the Eclipse, he found none.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t until they were just outside the bridge of the ship they were about to steal that anyone showed hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose bent down, removing a panel casing to reveal the mess of multicolored wires within. To Poe it looked like chaos, but Rose immediately went to work snipping and splicing, the wires speaking to her in ways he could only imagine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure about this?” asked Rey, her saber ignited and at the ready as the minutes stretched. They were all getting antsy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe felt a smile creep across his face as he kept his eyes trained the blank grey of the door, blaster at the ready. “Nope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that was a lie and they both knew it. He had that feeling, the one he'd spent years learning to trust again after Crait. The one that tended to nudge him in the right direction, show him the way when all reasonable options were spent. Rey liked to tell Poe it was the Force guiding him, but he knew better. It was intuition, pure and simple, and he had one of the best around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We had better odds on Raxus Prime,” said Rose from elbow deep inside the ship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn shook his head. “Raxus Prime was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>my fault. You need to let Raxus Prime go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey caught Poe’s eye, barely able to hide the grin playing across her lips. The rightness of that look on her face hit him dead in the chest. He exhaled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was always like that between them. Right. Though according to Rey, that was the problem. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he respected that, he really did. A thousand generations of teachings and tradition now rested on her shoulders, and the Jedi had been quite clear on whatever was brewing between them. But that didn’t make the feelings go away. For either of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose’s voice broke him out of his own thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that should just about do it.” Rose got to her feet, unholstering her blaster. Her hand hovered over the override button. “In three, two, one.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door slid open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe braced himself, waiting for a barrage of blaster bolts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That barrage never came. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There weren’t even any stormtroopers on board, a fact they found out quickly as they entered the bridge, blasters raised. Just a group of terrified, seemingly unarmed junior officers and crewmen. Honestly, it was kind of taking the fun away from it for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s in charge here?” he said to the group at large, not letting his weapon drop. Fear made people stupid, and all he needed was one of these nerf herders to try to be a hero. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The officers looked around at each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, one stepped forward, head held high. “I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great, I’m your new pilot.” Poe looked around the monochromatic bridge, every position looking exactly like the one next to it. “Uh, where does the pilot sit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The officer rolled his eyes, pointing at a station just to Poe's left. Ah, yes. He recognized the controls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to him, he heard Rey sigh in barely contained impatience. She strode forward, waving her hand in a familiar arc.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will set a course for the Nirauan System.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The effect was immediate, the officer’s face going blank and his posture going rigid. “Set a course for the Nirauan System!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked around as the entire skeleton crew jumped to action, taking their positions with matching blank looks on their faces. All mind tricked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked toward Rey, swallowing his own disgust. He knew she didn't like using it on people, but it still came a little too easily to her for comfort. She looked sick for a second before visibly shaking it off and walking toward one of the stations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cold start the engines,” she said, hitting buttons seemingly at random. Poe took up the spot next to her. “We can jump right to hyperspace if we overheat the laser canon drive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe smiled. Now she was speaking his language. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at the readout in front of him. “But the exhaust will spill out--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“--into the propulsion systems,” she finished for him, that brain of hers always 10 steps ahead. “We can freeze the chamber.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something soared inside Poe, so much so he couldn’t help the next words out of his mouth. “Don’t you see? You and I? How we--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey cut him off before he could say anything she deemed dangerous. “Not the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He met her hazel eyes across the panel, the look there pleading with him to drop it. Poe sighed, resigned. “I know, I know. Not the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes he wondered if it would ever be the time. Not that that was important at the moment, what with them in the middle of stealing a dreadnaught and all, but he couldn't help himself as he watched her hands fly over the panel, eyes drifting to the way her dark outfit hugged the muscled curves of her body. An ache rose in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn’s voice came from a station to their right. “Uh, guys? I’m going to need very specific instructions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was looking down one of the main control boards for the ships, the panel lit up in 20 colors of varying blinking urgency. Rose quickly elbowed him out of the way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shields up. Setting calculations for lightspeed.”</span>
</p><p>Poe mentally shook himself. Rey was right. Now was <em>definitely</em> not the time.</p><p>
  <span>There was activity out on the orbital ring, their window quickly vanishing. “Any time now, guys!” shouted Poe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose was furiously tapping a series of buttons on the screen in front of her. “Don’t rush me! I mess this up and we fly straight into the sun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lights flared to life outside, temporarily blinding the oncoming stormtroopers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I found the lights!” proclaimed Finn proudly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the dazed crewman chose that moment to turn to Finn, eyes clearing. “Hey, who are you--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a jarring crack, Finn swung his blaster, the man hitting the floor a second later. They all stood in stunned silence for a moment before Finn’s panicked voice brought them out of it. “Let’s get somewhere else. Fast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe turned back to the controls. “Working on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He eased his hands onto the controls. This thing was a lot bigger than he was used to. “Who uses an inverted control yoke?” he muttered to nobody in particular. The First Order, that’s who.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a deep breath he eased the ship forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only to be met with the unholy screech of durasteel on durasteel as the hull scraped against its way across the dock, alarms blaring and lights blinking all over the bridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, shit, shit,” he muttered, pulling back on the stick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ship tipped down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The black empty part is where we should be pointed!” shouted Rey over his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying! Everything’s backwards!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn laughed. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I can fly anything</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said in a slightly mocking impression of Poe’s voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not helping, buddy.” Poe gritted his teeth, trying to unlearn everything he knew about flying in less than three seconds. An explosion rocked the outer hull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn ran to the viewports. “They’re firing on their own ship?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course they are,” grumbled Poe, trying to bring the ship up. “Someone must want us real bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finally got them pointed toward the black empty part, to borrow Rey’s words, but something was off as the ship started tip to one side. Then upside down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re rolling now,” Rey pointed out, rather unhelpfully might he add.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked down at the controls, helpless to stop their slow spin. “Thank you, I’m well aware. Rose, where are we on those calculations?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Soon!” came Rose’s response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what about my droid?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey grabbed the comm from him, walking a few steps away from the controls. “BB-8 now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tense few seconds passed before affirmative beeps came through the comms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got him,” shouted Rey, just as Rose’s panel started flashing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good for lightspeed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey didn’t bother to wait for Poe to figure it out, leaning over him to shove the helve forward. The stars stretched in front of them, turning into the familiar blue of hyperspace a second later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe finally let out a breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Admiral Vonn held his breath. The weapons techs were being way too conservative.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Out of my way,” he bustled forward, pushing the kid to the side. “I said fire on those ships, not tickle them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But sir, they’re our ships!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if Vonn didn’t know that all too well. “I don’t care if they’re our ships, one is in the hands of the Resistance. They must not be permitted to leave this sector!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slammed down on the targeting, releasing a barrage of laser fire that would have blown a lesser ship into space dust. Unfortunately, they weren’t dealing with a lesser ship. The Eclipse-class Dreadnaught was a shining star of their fleet. Of course they had to pick the most indestructible fucking ship on Kuat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as the laser bolts bounced off the hull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, scans indicate the engines are readying for hyperspace.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“DO SOMETHING!” he shouted, helplessly hitting every button on the weapons array panel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But all they could do was watch in near silence as the Eclipse stretched and blinked out of view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn’s vision narrowed, his head spinning and his heart beating in his ears. His years of service, the sacrifices, the commendations, all down the tubes thanks to four Resistance fighters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please tell me the droid is with them,” Vonn gritted out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Affirmative. It ejected out of its escape pod and into the Eclipse shortly before the hyperdrive was engaged.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, at least some good had come of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn’s second in command approached a second later. “Sir, we just received word that a Resistance sympathizer, their accomplice, has been captured on the ground. Someone called Biss Kova, a Ryn of all things. Apparently he ran a machining shop for the migrants? I didn’t even know they were classified sentient.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Technically they weren’t, not by the First Order’s rigorous standards. And yet, someone had allowed him to run that shop on the surface. Filthy beasts. You give them an inch and they take a mile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent, let Chancellor Hux know we have caught the culprit.” Vonn turned back toward the viewports, his stomach taking a queasy roll when a new ship blinked into existence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jet black and foreboding, the Knife 9 looked much like its namesake. Jagged. Sharp. Deadly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Knights of Ren were here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, the Knights of Ren--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, yes,” he interrupted, terror making him even more impatient than usual. “I can see that. I’ll meet them on the landing dock.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a swift turn, he marched from the command center, not letting that fear show. He was an Admiral of the First Order. Well respected. Meeting all his quotas. There was nothing these fanatics could do to him. He was too valuable. Chancellor Hux would never allow it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was with that comforting thought that Vonn arrived at the edge of the landing pad, waiting for the Knights of Ren to disembark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They took their time, too, Vonn growing ever impatient. Who did they think they were? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, the ramp lowered with an over-dramatic hiss, rising steam hiding the Knights until they were directly in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were certainly an imposing bunch as they stood in all their black and shiny metal, the silence surrounding them near deafening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The leader, Ott Ren, stepped forward, his mask a flatter, more punishing version of their Supreme Leader’s. No wait, Ott was the one permanently at Lorl Ren’s side. The leader was Hattaska Ren. He never could keep them straight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vonn decided to speak first. “Welcome, gentlemen.” He flinched. Gentlemen wasn’t exactly the correct term for these menaces in masks, but there wasn’t one more fitting. “You’ll be pleased to know we were able to capture the beast helping them. The rebel sympathizer. He’ll be transferred for execution on Coruscant immediately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His proclamation was met with the blank silence of the masks. Undeterred, Vonn went on. “We were also able to upload a veil sensor in the droid. You’ll have the Jedi’s location as soon as a probe is in range.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That seemed to please the Rens, Hattaska looking from one knight to the next, each nodding in turn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, he slashed out with his saber, the monstrous blade crackling with dark energy. Vonn fell to his knees a second later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>White hot pain blossomed across his chest, and Vonn knew without looking that some of his insides were now without. A second later, he tipped over, head resting on the ground as he watched the Knights of Ren march back into their ship and take off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His last thought before the world went dark: Those fucking rebels.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. You Can Silence Planets, Not People</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>On Coruscant, a traitor to the First Order is executed while Chancellor Hux watches from afar. Not impressed by Hux's leadership, the Warlord council asks the question on everyone's mind: Where is Kylo Ren?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok, so this is the first chapter that doesn't actually involve our main three, thanks to how the script is written. I'm a little nervous to post it, but I'm hoping you guys stick with me. I promise it provides some pieces that are needed later for the story, plus a look inside Hux's head which was a ton of fun to write. Thanks for reading and we'll be back to our regularly scheduled Damerey next chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The ship lowered itself slowly, exhaust blowing dust and garbage in every direction. Yet another security craft with a belly full of stormtroopers to disgorge on the streets. </span>
</p><p><span>Sure enough, a second later the hatch opened, and eight troopers on speeder bikes went racing out, shooting off in every direction to patrol the level. </span>He wasn’t used to the scrutiny up here, having spent most of his young life haunting levels well below this lofty number. Dade slid deeper into the shadows.</p><p>
  <span>At 12, there was no way they wouldn’t see fit to punish Dade for his misdeeds, though he was so small he could probably pass for 9 or 10, if need be. Even the First Order would have a hard time executing a 9-year old. One of the bikes passed within spitting distance of his hiding spot while Dade held his breath. He wasn’t exactly willing to test that theory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the coast was clear, he ducked out of the alley, leaving behind a near-empty can of spray paint.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He joined the throngs of people headed toward the square.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking up, he caught sight of his handiwork, the giant recruitment poster now reading “DON’T JOIN TODAY.” The D was a little wobbly, but otherwise he was pleased with the work, especially the way it had caught more than one trooper's eye. They gathered at the base conferring while Dade walked past unnoticed, his paint blackened hands hidden in his pockets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Up ahead, a pair of patrolling troopers stopped a Trodatome, taunting him in the street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t even speak basic does it?” said one, shoving the armless alien.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second one pushed him back. “Basic? I doubt this thing is even sentient.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Trodatome warbled something indecipherable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that? I can’t hear you? Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rock left Dade’s hand before he even realized he’d picked it up. He didn’t stick around to hear the satisfying thunk as it hit plastoid armor, instead taking off as fast as he could for Monument Square.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A bantha horn sounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The square was full to bursting, situated as it was in the main intersection of boulevards on this level. High above them, the First Order Capitol hovered, balancing like a spinning top. Watching over them all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could barely remember a time before the First Order’s stranglehold on the galaxy penetrated every aspect of life. Before public executions and patrolling stormtroopers became part of the day-to-day on Coruscant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Set in the center of the massive square was a large dais, guards dragging a hooded figure toward the hanging lightblade. At least it would be quick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dade wondered what this one had done, if they were one of their own. The list of offenses punishable by death had grown to epic proportions in recent days. Had they been overheard criticizing the Supreme Leader? Perhaps seen defying a stormtrooper?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A thrum of nerves went through the pit of his stomach. Would he recognize the face beneath that hood? That’s why he’d been sent here. Not to graffiti that billboard, though that had been an added bonus. No, his job was to try to identify and determine if they were compromised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hologram jumped to life over the square, Chancellor Hux’s pasty face projected four stories tall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Today, another conspirator stands charged with treason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guards ripped off the hood of the accused, revealing a quaking male Ryn. Not one of theirs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Though support for his cause has all but vanished, let this day remind us of the consequences for defying our Supreme Leader.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walked the Ryn forward to the guillotine, the lightblade hissing menacingly in the ensuing silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Kylo Ren is not without pity, just as the traitor before you is not without remorse. And so he offers to spare this man’s life in exchange for the location of the Resistance Base.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if bolstered by a sudden bout of courage, the Ryn stopped shaking, holding his head high in defiance. Hux’s face twisted in thinly veiled irritation. Finally, the Ryn opened his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kofa rebiva tora famlia…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dade looked around, seeing if anyone understood the language. A few people gasped, while others looked around nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever it meant, it did nothing but enrage the Chancellor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So be it,” he practically snarled, the guards taking that as a sign.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They forced the Ryn to his knees, shoving his head down to wait for the blade while he chanted over and over, “Kofa rebiva tora famlia. Kofa rebiva tora famlia. Kofa rebiva tora famlia.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The old woman next to him covered Dade’s eyes, but he peeled her fingers away almost immediately. This wasn’t even his first execution this week. He let the anger stoke inside him as the guards nodded to each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a whoosh and a thump as the lightblade fell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From his office in the Capitol, Chancellor Hux watched with some satisfaction as the crowds below dispersed. It would be a quiet few days thanks to their swift action, an execution always the best means of control. A fearful populace was a compliant populace, something his father both knew and appreciated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If only Brendol Hux could see him now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux caught a glimpse of himself in the transparisteel and started. With the grey streaking his once flaming red hair, the resemblance to his father was both uncanny and unwelcome. He would never get used to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boot heels clicking against the polished floor alerted him that he was no longer alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir? They’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux’s face crumpled in distaste. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, he followed his second in command down the hall to the war room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seated around the table in all their stolen glory sat the Warlord Council. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Filled with the most vile characters from around the galaxy, the Warlord Council was a veritable who’s who of the scum of society. Filled with barely sentient species raised above their stations, they were a necessary evil in the fight against the rebels. And they knew it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux resented that fact almost as much as he resented the Supreme Leader, but even he knew that they couldn’t snuff out the rebel scum without the Warlords' help. He longed for the day the Resistance was gone and he could turn his attentions to the very beings who sat at this table. But alas, this was not that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched with distaste as Lord Gherlid bit off the head of some screaming creature, the smell alone enough to set Hux’s stomach churning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Swallowing thickly, Hux went on, “I assure you, the stolen Destroyer will be found. Our probe droids are scouring the galaxy as we speak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lord Gherlid eyed him carefully, not bothering to wait until he finished chewing. “A Dreadnaught class warship just slipped through your fingers, Hux. Your words don’t inspire confidence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux narrowed his eyes. Who was this..this thing to question him? Didn’t he realize he served at the Chancellor’s...err, Supreme Leader’s pleasure? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A lone signal won’t be difficult to find. Our transmissions blockade has silenced millions of systems,” he answered in a clipped voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gherlid leaned over. “You can silence planets, not people. There have been uprisings. We must not allow the seeds of revolution to take root.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The First Order will punish those who defy our rule. Submit your youth for conditioning. They will teach their elders the rule of law,” Hux sneered at the overblown pirate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Down the table, a nasty looking Weequay jumped in. “It’s Skywalker they believe in, not the law. And his apprentice, this girl, this Jedi. She’s become a symbol of hope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luke Skywalker is dead,” spat Hux.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve seen no body. Only the assertion from our Supreme Leader that he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. But someone is training that girl.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The people believe she will destroy you, Hux. And your Master,” added Raykar Shen, his spider-like pincers clicking with every word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something snapped in Hux at that. “Kylo Ren is no Master, and certainly not mine,” he spat, knowing that it was treason. Let Ren try to execute him. The Supreme Leader needed Hux, if only to keep order while he gallivanted around the galaxy chasing after fairy tales and bedtime stories.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We must kill the Jedi!” shouted Uggmot, pounding a tiny fist on the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux took a deep breath. He refused to be riled by these animals. “The Knights of Ren have been dispatched to eliminate her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lord Gherlid licked his thin lips. “Our fate in the hands of zealots? You ask for our confidence, yet provide nothing to inspire it.” He paused, baring those razor sharp teeth. “Where. Is. Kylo Ren?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Supreme Leader will return when he acquires the knowledge he seeks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When?” demanded the Weeqay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux seethed. He couldn’t wait for the day these beasts were no longer useful. He’d watch them die one-by-one. And enjoy it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Soon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A Dark stone mountain, black as obsidian rose up before him. The stars winked off the rock, reflective as a mirror in the night sky. He looked up toward the peak, an impressive fortress perched on the precipice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Vader.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was a dark place, he could feel the power of it thrumming through his veins. It was here. What he’d been looking for.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>With a smile, he started to climb, catching a glimpse of his own face in the dark, reflective stone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He looked ragged, a dark beard covering cheeks and chin. The old scar, gifted to him by the scavenger, cut a path from brow to jaw, bisecting that beard across one cheek. His tattered robes fluttered around him as he climbed, a hot wind buffeting him at every turn.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sweat dripped down his back and gathered at his brow as he climbed higher and higher, hands cracked and bleeding as he caught them on rough stone. Finally, he reached the peak, collapsing in a panting heap as soon as he hit flat ground. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The castle looked a lot less imposing from here, the fortress crumbling around him. Stone and ash littered the ground, filth collecting on his robes while he got to his feet. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Something was calling him inside.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He followed that pull, through the doors and to the empty cathedral within. Stepping around the debris, he lit his saber, the red light illuminating the deep, penetrating darkness.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A shiver went up his spine.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Leave me alone.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Though he was alone, it was his Uncle’s voice that answered. “This is where the dark path leads. An empty tomb.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The great Luke Skywalker, haunting his every move. Of course his last words would be the only promise he ever kept to Ben Solo.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His anger immediately rose to the surface. “And where did your path lead? You’re nothing more than a ghost.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I know what you’re searching for, Ben. Your Master promised you strength, but you feel hollow.” His uncle’s tone remained condescending, far too arrogant for a dead man.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Soon I will be more powerful than any Jedi. Even you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Luke’s voice turning taunting. “Are you sure?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Never one to disappoint with restraint, Kylo snapped, whipping around and swinging his lightsaber through the empty air.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Go home, Ben… Go home to Leia…” The words floated to him as if on a breeze, Ren’s teeth bared in frustration. He couldn’t fight a ghost.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He shook off his anger, noticing for the first time an altar on the far end of the space. There, in the center, stood the very thing that had brought him here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A sith holocron.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He approached, taking the unobtrusive pyramid in both hands. Closing his eyes, he began to channel the Force, a red glow emanating from the holocron.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Lord Vader.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kylo opened his eyes to find the pyramid open, a hologram of Darth Sidius himself projecting from within.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Young Skywalker will soon be ours, I have foreseen it. But we must prepare for the unforeseen. Should he strike me down, you will take him to the Remnicore System. There you will find Tor Valum, Master of the Sith Lord who instructed me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Something was happening, a low buzz emanating from the holocron. A red beam reached out, scanning him from head to toe.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Here the son of Skywalker will acquire a great ability--beyond what you could hope to command in your damaged state. With it, he will harness the untapped power of Mortis. At last we will realize--”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The buzz grew into an alarm. It knew he was not the intended. It knew he was not Vader. Palpatine’s image stuttered.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“-- the d-destiny...po-potential--”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Without warning, a blast of red lighting struck out from the holocron, hitting Ren directly in the face.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Agony, pure, unadulterated agony, spread through his body, every muscle in his body going taut as he fell to his knees.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He opened his mouth and loosed a scream.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia’s eyes snapped open. “Ben.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She struggled to clear her mind of the sight of her son is such agony, that dark power leaving purple streaks across his face as it coursed through his veins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The visions were getting worse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was heading toward a precipice, a point where no one would be able to bring him back. Though the questioned remained, if she even could bring him back, should she? Selfishly, she wanted her son to return. But his crimes these many years were too much for most to forgive, herself included. It was a continual battle to reconcile those two feelings. A losing one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked out the window in front of her, taking in the scene.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korilev was beautiful, if a little cold. Trees surrounded their little clearing, still green despite the light dusting of snow that covered everything. It glittered in the weak sunlight, almost too bright to look at. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Resistance members flitted to and fro, moving supplies and maintaining ships, all the daily things that kept their base running. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another quiet day courtesy of the galaxy-wide communications jam.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia sighed. Even with no official word, she knew people were suffering, could feel it in her very bones. It made her even more weary. And yet, determined. She’d lost a lot over her life, and this war would not be added to that tally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard shuffling behind her, sensing a familiar presence. “Yes, Chewie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He warbled at her, bringing Lieutenant Connix with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The war had not been kind to the Lieutenant, a brand new scar marring the pale skin of her neck and disappearing under the collar of her standard-issue uniform. But still, she fought, much as Leia did. Though Leia’s scars were much less visible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The team has returned, General,” announced Connix, her tone hiding something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mission accomplished?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connix hesitated. “Not exactly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded toward the massive window. Leia turned, trying to squint past her own grizzled reflection. The grey hair was still a shock every time she saw it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, in the distance, something grew larger. Much, much larger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that….?” she trailed off as the massive ship took shape, the X-wing escort looking like flies next to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia could here the smile in Connix’s voice when she replied, “Yup.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Hope is All We Have Left</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After returning to base with a Dreadnaught, Poe, Rey, Rose, and Finn hatch a plan to bring communications back online. Rey struggles with her feelings and what it means to be a Jedi.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Back to our main crew! Thanks to everyone who is reading this so far. I know this probably isn't as damerey-centric as folks had hoped, but I promise we get there in the end. I truly hope you stick with me.</p><p>Some warnings: Rey is fairly hard on herself this chapter, wondering out loud if she's a cause worth fighting for. There is a section that involves Kylo Ren where his injuries and treatment are described. I don't think they're too graphic, but I'm a little biased, so I figured I'd give a heads up.</p><p>I hope you enjoy this next chapter, so let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Leia strode purposefully down one of the never ending hallways on her way to the bridge. Every single one looked exactly the same, and they’d already gotten lost twice, even with R2 providing not-so-helpful navigational tips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A Star Destroyer. They had come back with a stolen Star Destroyer. No, not even a Star Destroyer, but a kriffing Dreadnaught. A Dreadnaught. On her </span>
  <em>
    <span>secret </span>
  </em>
  <span>rebel base.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Probably not so secret anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A headache built around her temples, one that happened so often these days she affectionately referred to it as “Poe Dameron.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was getting too old to deal with these flyboys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, they found their way onto the bridge, her headache’s namesake holding court with the captured First Order officers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are in strict violation of the Corellian Accords!” spat one as he was cuffed by a Resistance officer. He was young, far too young to be anyone important. The First Order favored old men above all else in their ranks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe leaned back in his seat, the picture of cocky insouciance in what appeared to be a filthy set of robes. “Put it on my tab.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose stopped them as the captured officers were marched toward the door. With a movement so quick they couldn’t even react, she ripped the bars off the leader’s uniform. “You mind? I collect these.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia had to stifle a grin. She remembered all too well how it felt to be that young. Like nothing bad could touch you, even in the middle of a war. Even with your homeworld gone or devastated. The things she’d pulled with Han back in the day…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now was not the time to think of dead husbands and long-destroyed homeworlds, not when Connix was trying to get her attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“General, what would you like me to do with them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia sighed, taking in the 10 or so new mouths they had to feed. “Cook them dinner. They look thin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their de facto leader seemed to take great offense to that. “The punishment for your act of rebellion will be swift--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His thought was finished for him when the door slid shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Empire. First Order. They never changed. All full of piss and vinegar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking of piss and vinegar, Leia turned to the room at large. “Scan the ship. This thing could be crawling with enemy troops.” Turning to face Poe, she raised her voice. “But our team didn’t consider that, did they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like scolding a child, because it sounded like she was scolding a child. Her child.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Poe seemed oblivious to the censure in her voice. “Oh come on, tell me you never wanted one of these.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finished with one of </span>
  <em>
    <span>those </span>
  </em>
  <span>smiles, the one that kept informants talking and young Jedis blushing. Leia found herself unable to stay mad at him. It seemed she wasn’t immune either. Insufferable, that one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though she couldn’t stay mad at him, decisions had to be made. “Prepare for evacuation. We’re leaving.” Without further ado, she started to walk off the bridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That seemed to get Poe’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why?” he asked, catching up with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia stopped, turning to face him again. “You stole a Star Destroyer,” she said, as if it needed any explanation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dreadnaught.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia rolled her eyes. “Fine. You stole a Dreadnaught.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I disabled their homing beacon,” said Rose, stepping forward. The young Tico was a spitfire and a genius to boot. Leia loved her. “We’re free and clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So it wasn’t easy to snap back at her. “Would you bet your life on that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That silenced the two of them. They shared an uneasy look that told her they would in fact </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>bet their lives on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, then we’re in agreement,” she said, waving them off. “Now you two go and start preparations. Who knows how long we have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They slunk away, Leia turning her attention to the main viewport. Rey stood alone, arms wrapped around her middle. Even from here, Leia could feel the misery coming off her waves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was struggling with something, and Leia could only watch helplessly. For the thousandth time, she found herself regretting not teaching the girl herself. Surely this was somehow her brother’s fault. Even dead, he was a pain in the ass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia crossed the bridge to where Finn was gathering his things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s she doing?” she asked, nodding over towards where Rey continued to brood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn’s lips pursed. “Hard to tell. Maybe you can talk to her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d thought about it, but Leia knew she couldn’t give Rey what she needed right now. But Finn could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She put a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “She doesn’t need a Master right now. She needs a friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey stood on the bridge, her gaze trained on the main viewport. Far beneath them, Resistance members gathered, small as ants, to see the stolen Dreadnaught. Little did they know their lives were about to be upended again, Leia having already given the orders to pack up and move out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was so lost in thought, she didn’t hear Finn coming until he was right next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey jumped at the sound of his voice, recovering a second later to answer, “I failed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d failed them. She’d failed everyone, from the street kids on Kuat to their gawking comrades below. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t say that,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She felt frail, like she could break apart at any moment. “They know all our tricks. We’ve been fighting this war too long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those people, the children. I saw the hope in their eyes.” Rey swallowed thickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They believe in you. We all do.” Finn smiled at her, surely trying to be reassuring. All it did was pile on more weight to her already heavy shoulders. A person could collapse under the weight of those expectations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She jerked out from under his arm. “I can’t be who they need me to be. I’m not strong enough. They were counting on me, and I left them there. To die. What kind of a Jedi does that make me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if they had a mind of their own, her eyes scanned the room, settling on Poe’s dark hair as he recounted their escape to one of the petty officers searching the ship. Her heart squeezed at the sight of him, his hands gesturing wildly as he spoke. She pushed the feeling down. It was yet another strike against her, yet another reason she could never be a true Jedi. As Poe would say, </span>
  <em>
    <span>put it on her tab.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But Finn was still speaking. “That’s not true. They made a choice. So did you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scoffed at him. “Nobody chooses to die, Finn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe not, but they choose to take a stand against evil. To give their lives for a cause they believe in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t getting it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ever think that maybe I’m not a worthy cause?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn’s face turned serious. “Come on, don’t say that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then don’t talk about things you know nothing about,” she snapped. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Patience,</span>
  </em>
  <span> chided the voice in her head. As always, she ignored it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then tell me!” Finn practically shouted. He took a deep breath, looking around to make sure no one had noticed his outburst. His next words were much more measured. “Then tell me. What is going on with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath, releasing it through her nose. “The dreams are back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All vestiges of anger left his face at her confession, leaving behind only concern. “Again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it…” Finn looked around, lowering his voice further, “him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes, seeing the dark spectacle unfold behind the lids. An evil fortress. A mass execution. Glimpses into the mind of a madman. Though the scene changed night by night, that one thing remained the same. “Always.” She swallowed, choosing her next words carefully. “There’s… something between us. I can’t explain it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had always been that way between her and Kylo Ren. Ben Solo. The Supreme Leader. Whatever he called himself these days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn gripped the tops of her arms. “You have to shut him out. He can’t change, it’s too late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something inexplicable and inexorable linked them, more than just Snoke’s manipulation. Two sides of the same coin. But what did that say about her if she was linked to someone like that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at Finn’s face, so kind and caring despite the way he’d been raised. It was all the proof she needed. “It’s never too late to change, you taught me that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn looked like he had something to say about that, but Chewie chose that moment to bray from the main hall, one hand pointing towards an open blast door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did he say?” asked Finn, his Shryiiwook still not up to par. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey smiled, already heading for the hall. “He said he has something we should see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was an understatement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Line after line, row after row of ships and walkers and assault vehicles stretched as far as the eye could see. AT-ATs and STs and M6s and MAs stood side by side, a mix of decommissioned Imperial gear and shining First Order weaponry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is enough firepower to take the Capitol,” breathed Finn, eyes wide in wonder. Without warning, he turned and shouted over his shoulder, “Poe, you need to see this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe ambled over with Rose in tow, the two stopping dead in their tracks as they approached the open door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey could feel the realization dawning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe threw an arm around Rey’s shoulders, hugging her to his side. “See? When have I ever come back empty handed?” He laughed, slapping Finn on the back for good measure. “This. This was the plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” asked Rose, skeptical but unable to hide the grin on her face. “The plan was finding a hidden cache of weapons you had no idea about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe shoved her playfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn was still staring into the bay in awe. “We have ships. Weapons. All we need is an army.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That sobered them up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But how?” asked Poe, face falling. “Nobody can hear us. We’re in the dark here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His words stirred some long forgotten memory deep in her mind. Musty pages. Indecipherable language. Knowledge as old as the Jedi Order itself. “We don’t have to be.” She looked at her friends’ faces one by one. “Follow me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey took off running, trusting that the rest would follow. And they did, albeit a little more slowly than she was used to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Down the long halls she went, dodging personnel and droids alike, then out the hangar they entered through and into the freezing Korilev morning. Or maybe it was afternoon. Rey wasn’t quite up to doing the math. Either way, her feet skidded as they hit the ground, the freshly fallen snow slippery underfoot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Millennium Falcon looked exactly as she’d left it, partially hidden in the snowy underbrush. She was up the ramp in no time, digging a fabric-wrapped bundle out of one of the drawers in the main hold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kriff, Rey,” panted Poe, leaning against the bulkhead to catch his breath. “You gotta go easy on us. We’re not all in your Jedi shape.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn slapped him on the back as he passed, only slightly out of breath. “Speak for yourself, old man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe glared at him, but let it slide, walking around to join the group around the Dejarik table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey dropped the bundle with a heavy thud, methodically unwrapping the cloth to reveal leather bound tomes within.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are those...” Rose trailed off, her eyes going wide in the overheads.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ancient Jedi texts,” finished Rey. She set aside one that she knew contained a lot of nonsense about the code and another that pontificated solely on the eternal bond of master and apprentice, finally unearthing an old historical account of the Order. “If I remember correctly,” she muttered, paging through the Golden Age and the High Republic until she found the drawing she was looking for. “There.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” The sharp scent of sweat filled her nose as Poe leaned close, mixed with that intrinsic Poe-ness she found so appealing. Ion engine exhaust. Leather. The soap they all used on base. It was distracting to say the least. Rey reluctantly pulled her attention back to the text.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Jedi had an old communications tower.” She ran a finger over the sketch, a tower embedded in the old Jedi temple on Coruscant. From the center, light flowed, a beacon sent into the galaxy. “Before the old Republic. It was powered by a nexus beneath the temple. A Force beacon, used to call outlying systems to war.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn leaned in further. “No way it still works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” said Poe, studying the drawing and Rey’s face in turn. Her cheeks heated under the scrutiny. “That Old Republic tech is way better than the junk we have now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As one, they turned to Rose, the resident mechanical expert. She pulled the book toward her, eyes flying across the text. “That frequency pre-dates the Empire by a thousand years. The First Order’s tech won’t be able to disrupt the signal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then it’s worth a shot?” asked Finn, turning toward Poe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of them followed suit. Rey swore she felt the weight shift to his shoulders, their de facto leader, as Poe took a deep breath. “Anything’s worth a shot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chewie roared his approval from behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe smiled. “Yeah, I hope so, too. Rey?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hesitated, a strange darkness coming over her. A black, ominous feeling slid along her veins, filling her with an inexplicable dread. Not quite a vision, but not quite not a vision. This path would lead her somewhere she wasn’t sure she wanted to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey?” Poe repeated, snapping her out of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked, feeling everyone’s eyes on her. “Hope is all we have left.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey’s stick met the training pillar with a satisfying whack, dust spewing from the ancient contraption. It coated her lungs, and Rey stifled a cough from beneath her blindfold, needing to focus all her attention on the ridiculous apparatus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were deep in a cave on Korilev, an ancient grotto as old as the planet itself. From hole in the ceiling, light streamed down, weak but still capable of warming her skin every time she stepped into it. Sounds from the base drifted in, echoing across the rock. A shout from Poe. Rose’s soft laugh. Finn’s deeper one. She blocked them all out, needing to focus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though she couldn’t see it, she could picture each piece of the training machine in her mind’s eye, six sections in all rotating independently. The arms reached in every direction like the branches of a mechanical tree, everything spinning and spinning and spinning as she dodged and weaved and struck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, she couldn’t stifle the cough, her second of hesitation earning her a swift knock from the pillar and a one-way trip to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She winced, back throbbing from the hit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your pain is an illusion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her unhelpful master was barely a voice, no physical form to speak of today, but always present. Luke was always present.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey snarled. “That’s rich coming from someone without a body.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke laughed, and Rey channeled that frustration back into her movements, attacking the post with a renewed vigor, desperately trying to clear that stain of darkness that came over her earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was no use. She couldn’t outrun it, especially not when that same feeling washed over her once more. She faltered back a step, blinking as the sound sucked from the room, that all too familiar link connecting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only this time, something was different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could see everything, the room, the stretcher, the snout-nosed ugnaughts running in a frenzy. A scream drew her further into the space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, on the stretcher, laid Kylo Ren, writhing and moaning as deep purple spread through his veins. He’d never been much to look at, but now he was downright monstrous, face twisted in agony and the damage spreading.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This. This was the strange feeling that came over her earlier. Whatever was happening to him. She could feel the darkness unfurling through him. In that strange way she had, Rey knew that if it was allowed to spread unchecked, that dark power would kill him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Med droids appeared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched as they assessed him, all the while Kylo was fighting against an enemy none of them could see. One from within.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Supreme Leader,” came the modulated voices of the lead droid, “we must take steps to stop the damage.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo gritted his teeth against the phantom pain. “Do. It.” Sweat dripped from the effort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a flurry of movement as equipment was brought in, the distinct tang of melting metal filling the room. They couldn’t possibly…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they did a second later, the boiling metal sizzling as it hit his face. Rey gagged as Kylo screamed, a new type of agony taking over. Rey called out as sharp but distant pain bloomed across her cheek. A borrowed feeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren’s eyes connected with hers across the room. Then he could feel it too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes never left her face as more of the molten steel was added, creating a patchwork of silvery grey across his pale skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dark veins continued to travel down his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Electrodes were attached to the rapidly cooling metal, the monotone voice of the lead med droid ringing out. “Clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone stepped back as electricity coursed through Ren. Energy crackled through Rey’s veins at the same time, the two of them falling into a vision within a vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A planet unlike anything ever seen. Snow on jagged peaks of a mountain. An ancient chamber deep in the heart. Two thrones built into the rock. A well of light pulsing below.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey gasped for a breath, the vision taking her back under almost immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A dark figure appears before her, igniting the red saber in one hand. Kylo Ren. He strikes out, Rey bringing her own saberstaff up to parry.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The crash of sabers fills the chamber. Her arms tire. Her reflexes slow.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Rey is good at this, but Ren is better.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>With a vicious slash, he strikes her down…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey hit the ground of the training room, tearing off the blindfold a moment later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke stood before her, deigning to take a physical form for once. “What did you see?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up at his shimmering form, becoming more solid by the second, and tried to make sense of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s injured,” she said, not needing to specify. Luke knew exactly who she was talking about. “Some kind of dark energy. They stopped it, but,” she paused, trying to find the words, “he’s changed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course he’d know that wasn’t the end of it. Rey swallowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I saw a mountain. Two thrones cut into the rock.” She took a deep breath, letting it out in a slow stream. “Kylo Ren was there. I faced him.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>And lost</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she added for her own benefit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I faced him again and lost.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke cocked his head. “You saw the future.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s blood froze in her veins. That was exactly what she was afraid of. “Kylo saw it too. He was there with me. We were… connected when the vision hit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The word appeared to her out of thin air. “Mortis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke’s expression turned grave. Without looking at her, he moved to sit on one of the natural stone benches that lined the space. Rey followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The minutes ticked by in tense silence, but Rey knew better than to interrupt his thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, he spoke. “What do you know of Mortis?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ok, so it was pop quiz time. Rey sighed, searching her brain for the requested knowledge. “It’s an ancient place from a time before the Jedi and Sith. Two thrones, two powerful beings. One of light and one of darkness. Together, they bring the balance of all things.” She turned to look at him. “But it’s all a myth. A bedtime story to explain the Force to children.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So was I, if you remember.” Luke gave her a wry smile before sobering up. “Beneath the temple on Mortis lies a power beyond anything the Jedi have ever known. This is bigger than some war against the First Order. If Kylo reaches the temple, everything we’ve ever fought for will be lost.” With hands that were surprisingly solid, he reached for hers. “You have to confront him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want me to kill Leia’s son?” Little did he know how that faceoff would end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Force guides us toward balance. It doesn’t always show us what we want to see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey snatched her hands out of his grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Balance,” she scoffed, shaking her head. “Dark suffocates light. Light extinguishes dark. Over and over for a millennium. How is that balance?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke remained furiatingly calm. “I know that anger. I had it. My father had it too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So says my Master. And his Master before him. A thousand Masters, so eager to tell us how to live.” Rey got to her feet, the energy coursing through her too much to sit still. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once again she felt that weight on her shoulders. The pressure of a thousand generations of expectations pressing down on her. Soon, she’d be ground to little more than dust by the weight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her steps took her to one of the natural cave openings, the mouth overlooking the base below. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn and Rose sat in front of one of the new grappling cannons, laughing while Rose calibrated it for their own use. A second later, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, leaning in for a soft kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s face heated. Pursuits like… </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>were closed to her. No matter how much she daydreamed about warm brown eyes and a crooked smile coming ever closer…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. Now was not the time to dream of foolish things she couldn’t have. She turned her attention toward the Millennium Falcon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe and Chewie stood on the top of the ship, arguing over the best way to clear the exhaust ports. Chewie was right, but Poe wouldn’t give in, stubborn even in the face of a full-grown Wookiee. Rey smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if he felt the motion, Poe looked up, his gaze eerily close to where she stood. Automatically, Rey took a step back into the shadows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning back toward Luke, Rey finally found her voice, “I spent my whole life wanting a family. Now I’ve got one. I won’t abandon them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey, the Force is speaking to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I’m not who it thinks I am,” she snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Luke continued to push. “Who are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one,” she answered automatically, same as the first time he’d asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke’s face fell in disappointment. “If that’s what you believe, then the last Jedi </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anger flashed through her. Without thinking, she threw the practice stick to the ground, walking toward the exit. “Maybe he is.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Ok, Then I'm Going With You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While Kylo Ren and Hux bicker over their next steps, the Resistance hatches a daring plan of their own.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much to everyone who dropped me a kind word about this story! For some reason, this particular fic was hardest hit by the AO3 changes, and your lovely comments are letting me know that you're still reading. I truly hope you continued to enjoy reading this even has as much as I'm enjoying writing it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Agony, that’s all he knew. It could have been minutes or hours or days. Time lost all meaning in this place of pain.</p><p>But much like the beskar they’d used on his face, his purpose had been tempered into something stronger than ever. He was stronger than ever.</p><p>Every breath was torture, his lungs not finding air. Something stung on his forearm as they grafted mechanical to flesh, such a small pain in comparison he barely acknowledged it.</p><p>The scavenger had been here. He saw her plain as the filthy ugnaughts tending to him. She’d watched as he was formed anew.</p><p>And she’d shared the vision that came later. When he defeated her on Mortis, that well of power bearing silent witness to his victory. He would kill her and take his prize. </p><p>But first, he needed to go to Remnicore and learn the power it would require.</p><p>The slab he’d been placed on tilted up, his face coming into view via a mirror on the far wall. </p><p>It was monstrous, a face that would strike fear into the heart of anyone who dared face him. Finally, it matched what he felt deep in his soul.</p><p>“Finish it,” he demanded, holding his breath as a med droid came forward, the new helmet gleaming in its hands.</p><p>With a hiss, it closed around his head.</p><p>The droid hit a button on his arm, the mask coming to life before his eyes.</p><p>“Breathe,” instructed the droid in its monotone voice.</p><p>He inhaled, the sound deep, guttural, rasping to his ears. Finally, he would surpass his grandfather in all things.</p><p>Kylo Ren rose.</p><p> </p><p>Hux opened the door to his quarters, stepping in to the pristine room. The little fountain burbled cheerfully in the center of the space, the sound a balm on his frazzled nerves.</p><p>10 hours of meetings, and today was a light schedule. He removed the long coat, dropping it and his hat on the chair in the entryway before moving deeper into the room.</p><p>Passing a mirror, he was once again shocked to find his father’s face staring out at him. He looked tired, far too old for his nearly 40 years. As much as he hated to admit it, it was a lot harder to control an empire than he’d been expecting. A lot duller, too. Why had no one mentioned the hours and hours of tedious meetings, the subjects of which ranged from merely dull to deathly boring? He was supposed to be leading, not deciding which shade of red the new banners should be. </p><p>One hand came up to smooth down that streak of grey. </p><p>He wandered over to the glass case in its place of honor. Inside, resting a pillow of crushed velvet, sat a lightsaber, shining under the recessed lights. It was his most prized possession, a relic from the end of that first failed republic. Years it had taken him to track down this particular saber, it’s owner eliminated by the emperor himself. </p><p>Checking to make sure he was truly alone, Hux took a credit chip from his pocket, setting it on the glass case. He focused, much as he’d seen that fool Ren do. If that simpleton could do it, there was no reason he couldn’t as well.</p><p>Though as much as he focused, the chip never moved, Hux letting loose a frustrated groan as he tried harder.</p><p>“Has all been well in my absence?”</p><p>Hux nearly jumped out his skin at the strangely modulated voice. He slid the credit chip off the glass and into his pocket as surreptitiously as possible.</p><p>Squinting into the shadows, Hux could just make out the hulking figure of Kylo Ren. “Supreme leader, you’ve returned. Had I known--”</p><p>Ren cut him off. “I don’t need grand displays and processions. Or titles. <em> Chancellor </em>.”</p><p>He stepped into the light. </p><p>Hux suppressed a shiver. The Supreme Leader was much changed. Back was the mask, but now it was sharper, more hungry looking. Like it would eat him alive.</p><p>Ren went on, “My knights tell me the girl was in your grasp.”</p><p>“Apparently,” said Hux, finding his courage, “your knights took it upon themselves to deal with my general’s failure”</p><p>“And how should I address your failure.” His voice sounded eerily calm under that mask. Hux knew from experience that was when he was the most dangerous of all. He took a step back.</p><p>“What happened to your-”</p><p>Ren interrupted him once more. “She’s beloved, isn’t she?”</p><p>Hux cocked his head. Always with that girl. He was starting to think it had less to do with her being the last Jedi and more to do with some baser instinct of the Supreme Leader’s. He supposed she was quite pretty, if you were into that sort of thing. Which Hux was decidedly not.</p><p>He knew he was in dangerous territory, but was still unable to stop himself. “Belief is the solace of peasants,” he spat. “The people cling to folklore, but they fear the First Order.” </p><p>“They fear <em> me</em>,” snarled Ren, Hux ceding another step. “Soon I will command the Force in ways not seen since the ancients.”</p><p>Hux found his interest piqued in spite of himself. “The power described in the Sith Texts. You’ve found it?”</p><p>“It is within my reach. Then, the ability to destroy a planet will be…” he trailed off, letting those words sink in, “insignificant.”</p><p>Hux straightened. Now this was the focus he was looking for, why he’d attached himself to this regime in the first place. “What are your orders?”</p><p>“Find the Resistance and wipe them out,” Ren turned on his heel, his cape and cowl trailing behind him.</p><p>“And the girl?”</p><p>Ren looked toward him over his shoulder. “Leave her to me.”</p><p> </p><p>Poe watched as Resistance leadership filed into the briefing room, his gut churning. He shouldn’t have been nervous, not when the faces were so familiar, all the people with whom he’d spent the last five years rebuilding, earning back the trust and confidence he’d lost in those days after Starkiller. He knew all of their stories by heart, the families lost and homeworlds overrun, the missing wives or husbands or children, the scars both visible and invisible left by the First Order. </p><p>Not to mention that he’d been to thousands of these over the years. Only this time, it was his show to run, with Leia looking on from the back of the room.</p><p>Once everyone had gathered around, Poe took a deep breath. It was now or never.</p><p>He hit a button, and a hologram of the First Order capitol sprang to life over the table.</p><p>“As you know,” he started, the whole room sitting up and paying attention, “the First Order has silenced all communication between neighboring systems. The source of the blockade is a transmission jammer located deep in the First Order capitol on Coruscant, here.”</p><p>Poe hit another button, the hologram zooming in on a cube in the heart of the capitol. So much headache over something so simple. He went on.</p><p>“So far, we’ve been unable to find a weakness. No thermal exhaust port, no oscillator. In other words, they’re on to us.” He gave the room a wry smile.</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Leia smiling at him from the back of the room. A tip of her head urged him on.</p><p>“While our forces are still too depleted to mount a direct assault, we think we found an alternative.” </p><p>He keyed in a new code, and the capitol was replaced by a rendering of a familiar five-spired building. </p><p>“Here, in the Jedi Temple, lies an analog system back from the days of the Old Republic.” Another click brought them to a closeup of the machine, an ancient contraption powered by kyber. “A small team will activate the beacon, and we’ll be able to summon the galaxy to war.” </p><p>The hologram lit up, a beam of light bursting through the center of the temple to link with hundreds of planets above, creating a web of connections spanning the entire known galaxy.</p><p>“And when they succeed, we’ll be ready.”</p><p>He could feel their hope as it swelled, an intoxicating emotion.</p><p>Finn got to his feet.</p><p>“I’ll do it, General. I’ll lead the team.”</p><p>Rose stood up next to him. “Co-lead. He’ll co-lead the team,” she said, smiling at her beau.</p><p>With Finn and Rose already having volunteered, everyone looked toward Rey. </p><p>Generally speaking, their group was a package deal. They worked well together, so well they were damn near unstoppable when they put their minds together. Case in point, the Dreadnaught currently parked just outside the base.</p><p>Leia turned to her. “Rey?”</p><p>“They’re looking for me,” she said, worry coating her features, “and it’s dangerous enough as it is.” She hesitated, her face falling. “I can’t go with you.”</p><p>Leia nodded. “Ok, then we prepare to evacuate. We’ll reconvene at the rendezvous point.”</p><p>Rey barely waited for the formal dismissal before taking off down the hall, Poe seconds behind her.</p><p>“Hey,” he said, swearing that she picked up the pace upon hearing his voice. He walked faster. “Hey, Rey!” Finally, he got her to stop. “What was that all about?”</p><p>She’d been acting strange, distant since showing them those texts in the Millennium Falcon. Hells, who was he kidding? It had been longer than that, probably since those migrants saved them on Kuat. </p><p>It was always a fine line with her, between caring and caring too much. The latter inevitably sent her running, so Poe knew to tread lightly. “Rey?” he said, as delicately as possible.</p><p>When she looked at him, her eyes were dazed, a little unfocused. Like she was seeing something no one else could. “I have to bring an end to all this. I have to confront him.”</p><p>Poe restrained himself from rolling his eyes. She’d obviously been talking to Luke again.</p><p>“Mmhmm. I assume you’re talking about our exalted Supreme Leader. And you’re just going to ‘confront him?’ Who talks like that?”</p><p>She sighed, always frustrated with him, but he detected the hint of a smile playing across her lips. “I don’t know. I do. Jedi do. I’m new at all this.”</p><p>“Ok, then I’m going with you.”</p><p>Any trace of mirth disappeared off her face, replaced by a very real fear. “No. It’s too dangerous. I have to go alone.”</p><p>“Is that in your code too? ‘Must face evil alone.’ I gotta say, that’s not making me any less likely to follow you.”</p><p>“Poe,” she said, a warning in her tone.</p><p>“So where is this big confrontation happening?”</p><p>“Mortis.”</p><p>“Mortis.” Poe’s brows shot into his hairline. “Rey, Mortis is a myth.”</p><p>Her jaw took that stubborn set he was so damn fond of. He swallowed the feeling down immediately. Not the time.</p><p>“It isn’t. I saw it,” she insisted. </p><p>So that’s why she was acting so strange. The visions were back.</p><p>There had been more than one occasion over the last five years when they’d found each other in the dead of night, both plagued by nightmares. Poe’s were more of the garden variety, just a remix of Kylo Ren breaching his mind, with a splash of all the death that followed. </p><p>But Rey’s were something else, powerful visions that showed the past or future or sometimes both, always leaving her shaking and disoriented. Worse were the nights when she was privy to Ren’s thoughts, their connection leaving her shouting at things no one else could see.</p><p>Those nights, she tended to find solace in his arms, Poe holding her close--</p><p>He stopped himself short. Definitely not the time, Dameron.</p><p>“So you saw it,” he said, picking up the conversation where they left off. “But how do you plan on finding it?”</p><p>Her face fell, suddenly unsure. “I’ll… figure it out.”</p><p>At that, she started back down the hall, Poe in tow. He was not going to let her walk away from him this time.</p><p>“Hey. Look, I know you think I’m wasted space on any mission, Jedi Master--”</p><p>“Please stop calling me that.”</p><p>“--but the thing is, I know someone who can find the system you’re looking for.”</p><p>Rey rolled her eyes. “If it’s another one of your flight academy friends, I swear--”</p><p>“It’s not one of those guys, but those guys are great.”</p><p>“--because they are unreliable at best. And I’m being generous.”</p><p>Poe took a deep breath. As much as he loved their banter, he was trying to make a point here. “She’s a navigator, lives on Bonadan. Force sensitive, like you.”</p><p>Rey gave a look.</p><p>“Ok, not <em> exactly </em> like you, but spice diggers used to pay her to find deposits on asteroids.”</p><p>Rey’s face softened somewhat. “Do you trust her?”</p><p>“She’s a little off, but if this place exists, she can find it.”</p><p>The way Rey was looking at him set his heart to racing. They were closer than he realized. Without thinking, he grabbed her hands, running a thumb over her knuckles.</p><p>“Listen, I get it. No attachments, Jedi path, I’ve read that story too. But…”</p><p>He stopped himself just short of saying what he wanted to say, telling her what had been in his heart for months now, maybe even years. But as always with them, now was not the time. He was starting to wonder if it ever would be. </p><p>Taking a deep breath, he went on, “What I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to do this alone.”</p><p>Rey looked down at their joined hands before meeting his eyes once more. And to his great surprise, she didn’t jerk away or take off, but simply said, “Thank you.”</p><p>Something was happening between them, he could feel it in the very air around them. As always, he felt that pull toward her, but for once he could have sworn she felt it too. Enough that she was leaning ever slightly toward him until something over Poe’s shoulder suddenly stole her attention.</p><p>Poe looked over his shoulder, only to find Leia hovering in the distance, her eyes fixed on the two of them even as pilots and pathfinders and infantry darted to and fro in front of them.</p><p>Immediately, he dropped her hands.</p><p>Busted.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. That’s Exactly What We’re Fighting For</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As Resistance races to evacuate Korilev, the First Order closes in. Our Trio prepares for separate adventures.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The adventure continues! Thank you to everyone who read or dropped a kind word on this story. I am having so much fun digging in to the script, so I hope you're enjoying the fic! </p><p>We're finally getting into the meat of the story (and my favorite parts), so buckle up!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Finn watched as Rey practically ran from the briefing, Poe going after her a second later. He had a feeling his talk with her earlier did more harm than good. Maybe Poe would have better luck.</p><p>He turned to find Leia watching him, a look of concern on her face.</p><p>“I take it your chat did not go well?” she asked, raising her brows.</p><p>Leia had a way of letting you know you disappointed her without ever saying the words. And more than anything in the world, Finn hated disappointing Leia Organa. “Could have gone better.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “She’s struggling, and I don’t know how to help her.”</p><p>Leia sighed, her eyes focusing on something further down the hall. “I’m not sure anyone alive does.” She turned to face him once more. “Get some rest. We’re all gonna need it.” And with that parting wisdom, she was gone.</p><p>His bed was certainly an appealing option. Between all the hyperspace travel and the mission itself, it had probably been two standard days since he slept. The days were all starting to blend together. But he knew if he tried to sleep now, he’d end up tossing and turning the whole night. Probably keeping Rose up, too. No, he needed to work off some of this nervous energy first.</p><p>So he busied himself with one of the grappling cannons, working side-by-side with Rose and picking up where they left off earlier. </p><p>If he was being honest with himself, he knew the real reason for this sudden restlessness. He’d felt something back on Kuat when that stormtrooper grabbed him. His helmet blasted open, Finn had not only seen the man within, but <em> recognized </em> him.</p><p>An echoing boom from across the hangar sent his heart into his throat. Immediately, he was back on Jakku, blaster raised at unarmed townspeople, Phasma’s order ringing in his ears...</p><p>Finn blinked and he was back in the hangar, taking a few seconds to realize it was nothing more than a dropped spanner that had sent him into a tailspin.</p><p>Noticing his distress, Rose put a comforting hand on his back. “Hey. It’s okay. You’re on Korilev,” she said, knowing the drill. It was rare anymore that he had an episode, but Rose was always there to get him through. “Breathe with me. Deep breaths.”</p><p>He did as instructed, following her breaths until his own felt a little more natural.</p><p>Once he’d calmed down, she asked, “Can you tell me what happened?”</p><p>“One of the stormtroopers on Kuat. I knew him. I think we trained together as kids.”</p><p>Rose’s dark eyes took on a look of concern. There wasn’t much he remembered about his childhood, and what little he did was never pretty. </p><p>“And he recognized me.”</p><p>Rose’s brows shot toward her hairline. “Does that mean there are more like you out there?”</p><p>“I don’t know. If there were, don’t you think there would have been a full-scale rebellion by now? Mass desertions?”</p><p>“Would we even know if there had been?” she posited. “There’s not exactly open communication throughout the galaxy right now. And that certainly wouldn’t make into the lovely little propaganda films they put out.”</p><p>Finn realized she was right. There was no telling how many troopers were like him. How many realized what they were doing was wrong. How many broke through their programming. </p><p>There could be hundreds or thousands of troopers waking up, with nowhere to go but on the next mission. Not everyone was lucky enough to find the best pilot in the Resistance aboard their ship to break them out.</p><p>Yet another reason to get that beacon online. “He looked so scared. I remember that feeling.”</p><p>“I don’t think that feeling ever goes away.” She reached over, taking his much larger hand in hers.</p><p>“I can’t let more kids end up like me. It has to stop.”</p><p>Rose gave his hand a squeeze. “That’s exactly what we’re fighting for.”</p><p> </p><p>Kylo Ren strode through the Capitol toward his personal quarters. He’d left Hux behind properly cowed. The ridiculous redhead would not be an impediment to his destiny.</p><p>Hux was all pomp and bluster with no real power. Sure, it was his voice presiding over the executions and his ridiculous vision guiding the First Order, but he was but a man, one constrained by the basic laws of the universe. </p><p>But not Ren. For soon, he would ascend, no longer held back by those laws of men. No, soon he would become more god than man, that great and terrible power that he would seize as his own.</p><p>Already, a shadow of that power flowed through him after the procedure, his veins filled with electricity. He could feel it humming deep in his bones, sparking along the nerves like live wires.</p><p>Soon, there would be no one to stop him. </p><p>He entered his chambers. </p><p>They were much as he left them, devoid of both color and character, shiny and sleek in stark black and white. Everything about the room was sharp and angular, his footsteps echoing in the near empty space. There was no room for comfort in this life, no soft couches or frilly chairs like the ones Hux was so fond of. The only hint that someone lived here at all was the small display in the center of the room.</p><p>There, in a sea of overwhelming black, sat the mask of his grandfather, a charred and twisted apparatus that represented every failure of his life. Everything he had never lived up to. The scavenger’s words echoed in his head: <em> You’re afraid that you will never be as strong as Darth Vader. </em></p><p>Ren approached the display.</p><p>“I understand you now,” he said, talking down to the mask. “Your weakness. Your pain. You allowed love to cloud your judgement. I will succeed where you failed.”</p><p>Again, he heard her voice. <em> You will never be as strong as Darth Vader. </em></p><p>He grabbed the mask, making the short trip out to the balcony. Below, the whole of Coruscant spread before him, billions of lights and beings and ships all in constant motion. He could feel each one of them, a separate pinprick of the Force, an energy that both fed and consumed him. </p><p>He held the mask over the edge.</p><p>And let go.</p><p>Down, down, down it tumbled, through the clouds and into the levels below. He could feel when it shattered, and he was finally free, the final vestiges of his former life fracturing with it.</p><p>There was nothing to hold him back now.</p><p>His task completed, he strode back into his quarters and barked at whoever was on the other side of his comms to ready his ship. There was no time to waste. He’d go to Remnicore immediately.</p><p> </p><p>Hux stood on his balcony, watching as Ren’s personal craft rose above the Capitol, growing smaller and smaller in the night sky until it blinked out of existence.</p><p>“Goodbye, Ren,” he said to nobody in particular.</p><p>Good riddance, more like. </p><p>He’d watched as that nutter talked to a mask on his balcony not even 20 minutes ago and then dropped it over the edge. That mask had been priceless, an heirloom, the mask of Lord Vader himself. The last piece of Anakin Skywalker’s dark legacy. And that man-child had simply tipped over his hand and let it fall like little more than rubbish. </p><p>Hux looked over his shoulder at the glass case in its place of prominence. <em> He </em> knew how to care for artifacts of that magnitude. Kylo Ren didn’t deserve that mask or the power that went with it.</p><p>But he had that power, and the Skywalker blood that ran through his veins. And Hux, average, boring, bastard Hux had no choice but to follow, always less than the great Supreme Leader. It was infuriating.</p><p>According to the reports, Ren had been on Mustafar. Mustafar! What could the Supreme Leader have needed on that barren wasteland? Hux hoped it was worth it, whatever it was, as by looks of him Ren nearly gave his life for it. A liability, that’s all Ren was these days. </p><p>With a bit of luck, Ren and the girl would take care of each other, with no further action required on his part. And if it left him as the de facto leader of the First Order? Well, that was just the icing on the cake. </p><p>Yes, he would make a fine Supreme Leader. Tough but fair. A strong hand. And none of these nonsense quests to distract him.</p><p>On that happy note, he wandered over to the case, a shining beacon in the otherwise dark room. </p><p>What he wouldn’t give for even a modicum of that power. The power Ren wasted on terrorizing young girls and pissing matches with his dead grandfather. </p><p>Again, he slid that credit chip out of his pocket and set it on top of the glass. With a deep breath, he cleared his mind, focusing all his attention on the shiny coin…</p><p>...only to get distracted a second later by footsteps in the hall. </p><p>“Yes, Commander Sellik, come in.” </p><p>The commander entered, his uniform as impeccable as ever. “Sir, one of our probes picked up the droid’s signal. We’ve found them.”</p><p>Hux smiled, a rare and fearsome occurrence. Perhaps this night was not a waste afterall. </p><p>“Ready my ship, I want to witness their extinction myself.”</p><p>Sellik gave a brisk nod. “Shall I inform the Supreme Leader?”</p><p>“No,” he said, letting the smile slip into a snarl. “Let Ren and the girl fulfill the empty promises of their ancient religion. In the end, they’ll destroy each other as the Jedi and Sith always have. Then we will rise. Strong, decisive. Ready to bring true order to the galaxy.”</p><p>Sellik blinked at him, acutely uncomfortable. Good, he should be. </p><p>Hux turned toward the millions of lights of Coruscant, a veritable model of the peace and order the rest of the galaxy would enjoy under his control. Soon. </p><p>When he turned back to Sellik, there was a smile on his face once more. “Prepare the attack.”</p><p> </p><p>The Resistance base was abuzz with motion, everyone from privates to pilots racing around as they went forward with evacuation. They practically had it down to a science these days, what with all the running they’d done over the years, the various bases barely set up before they were already moving on. </p><p>But as the activity whirled around her, Rey felt oddly removed from the proceedings. This time, she wouldn’t be going with them, her mission wholly separate from that of the Resistance.</p><p>Luke’s words turned over and over in her head. </p><p>
  <em> If Kylo reaches the temple, everything we’ve ever fought for will be lost. </em>
</p><p>This was bigger than the war with the First Order. The very fate of the galaxy rested in her hands. </p><p>Not for the first time since she left Jakku, Rey wished that that weight fell on anyone else’s shoulders but her own.</p><p>She hadn’t asked for this power. Nor the responsibility that accompanied it. So why was it that her life was dictated by its rules? </p><p>Poe’s voice drew Rey out of her dark thoughts.</p><p>“Because I’m not sending her out there alone, that’s why!” he nearly shouted at Chewie as they packed up the Falcon. Brave man. Or stupid man. She supposed it depended on where you stood.</p><p>Luckily for Poe, Chewie wasn’t in the mood to remove arms that day. Not that he would do that to a fellow rebel. At least, Rey assumed he wouldn’t.</p><p>Chewie growled something about Poe’s intentions, and Rey found herself listening a little more closely, her earlier conversation with Poe jumping to the front of her mind.</p><p>There was something growing between them, a feeling in the Force that she was having a harder and harder time trying to ignore. And earlier, in that hall after the meeting, she could have sworn Poe felt it too. If Leia hadn’t seen them…</p><p>Well, there was no sense going down that avenue. Not when Leia <em> had </em>seen them and Poe dropped her hands so quickly it was like he’d been shocked.</p><p>In the present, Poe sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Will you just trust me?</p><p>Chewie chuffed something that loosely translated to “not on your life, pal.” Rey felt herself smile in spite of herself.</p><p>With no small effort, she turned her attention next door to the Falcon, where Finn and Rose were loading up Rose’s ship.</p><p>The Phantom Hawk wasn’t sleek or pretty, but much like the Falcon she had it where it counts. Painstakingly put together by Rose over the years, she was an amalgam of sorts, using all of the best parts from all of the best ships to create something completely her own. </p><p>Rey found Rose elbows deep in the ship’s innards, calling out to Artoo as she tinkered under the hood, Threepio looking on. </p><p>“This is a Corellian hyperdrive. Artoo, do we have a keycode for this?”</p><p>R2-D2 projected a hologram of keycodes, scrolling through until he found a match. </p><p>Rey and Rose locked eyes over the droid.</p><p>“Uh, this is every hyperdrive key in the old Imperial fleet,” said Rose, disbelief laced through every word. “They still use most of these. Where’d you get these, Artoo?”</p><p>The droid beeped in response.</p><p>Threepio gave him a whack on the dome. “I told you to erase the data from Bespin’s central computer. You don’t know where it’s been.”</p><p>Rey laughed as the two droids continued to bicker in their strangely human way, Rose joining in a second later. </p><p>“I guess this is goodbye.”</p><p>Rey turned at the sound of Finn’s voice, his face a mask of regret.</p><p>“Don’t say that,” she said, her voice scratchy with tears. As much as she knew she had to do this, it didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye. Especially when something deep in her soul was telling her she might never see him again.</p><p>Finn gave her a weak smile. “You’ve got this, Rey. You’ve come a long way since Jakku.”</p><p>A sob stuck in her throat at the memory of those first whirlwind days together. How easy it was to knock him on his ass. How many times he tried to grab her hand. How he came back for her on Starkiller. </p><p>“So have you,” she managed to choke out before Finn pulled her into a crushing hug.</p><p>She let herself cry in earnest in his arms. They’d both known this day was coming, the time when their paths would diverge again, but Rey found herself wholly unprepared now that the day was here.</p><p>Poe chose that moment to approach. “Hey, we should get outta here before--” Noticing their embrace, he stopped dead. “I, uh--”</p><p>But Finn wasn’t having it. “Get over here, you nerf herder,” he said, pulling him in.</p><p>It felt right, the three of them hugging as the Resistance went on around them, their arms tangled and heads resting on each other’s shoulders. It was hard to tell where one ended and the others began. Their little trio against the galaxy.</p><p>At some point, Poe’s hand found hers, holding on for dear life.</p><p>“Take care of him,” Finn said to her, squeezing them both.</p><p>Rey nodded. “I will.”</p><p>“Uh, guys? I’m right here. I can hear you.”</p><p>“We know,” said Finn, patting Poe’s back. “We know.”</p><p>Poe shook his head with a laugh. “As beautiful as this moment is, we really do have to get out of here.”</p><p>With some difficulty, Rey pulled herself away from the group, letting Finn and Poe say their goodbyes in private as she headed back toward the Phantom Hawk.</p><p>“No worries,” muttered Rose, one eye on Finn and Poe while she continued to load the ship. “I’ll handle all the flight prep. You guys just keep hugging.” She straightened up when she noticed Rey watching, her expression softening. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”</p><p>“I was just coming over to say goodbye.” Rey looked over her shoulder, catching the men hugging. Again. “They really do hug a lot, don’t they?”</p><p>Rose burst out laughing. “It’s a little uncanny. I’d be jealous if I didn’t know better.”</p><p>Jealous. Yet another thing Rey didn’t get to be. </p><p>Rose gave her one of those appraising looks. “Finn said you and Poe are off to do something stupid and dangerous.” </p><p>Rey laughed. You could always count on Rose to tell it like it was. “I mean, not any more stupid than usual. We did just steal a Dreadnaught.” </p><p>“That’s not really saying much,” Rose shot back, a smile on her face. “But gods, was that fun.”</p><p>Rather than answering, Rey simply stepped forward and wrapped the much smaller woman into a hug. </p><p>“You take care of each other, okay?” Rose insisted, a strange vehemence to her words. </p><p>“Of course,” replied Rey easily.</p><p>“And we’ll see you both at the rendezvous in a few days?”</p><p>“That’s the plan,” Rey answered, intentionally noncommittal.</p><p>But Rose wasn’t having it. “Promise me.”</p><p>Rey blinked, strangely unsettled by her insistence. Almost like she knew what Rey had seen. </p><p>Though she hated the thought of lying to Rose, the words came anyway. “I promise.”</p><p>Satisfied, Rose pulled her into another crushing hug, though there was a wariness in her eyes that told Rey she wasn’t wholly believed.</p><p>“Ok, enough of that,” said Rose, surreptitiously swiping at her eyes. She turned toward Finn. “Are you two about done? I’d like to get out of here before I’m Chewie’s age.”</p><p>There was one final round of back slapping before Finn headed toward the Phantom Hawk, pausing a second to touch Rey’s shoulder before boarding. </p><p>As she watched them disappear into the ship, Rey couldn’t shake the feeling that it would be the last time she’d see her friends with her own two eyes.</p><p>“You ready?” asked Poe, approaching from behind. </p><p>Rey pushed that feeling down, trying her best to give Poe a reassuring smile. “Five more minutes? There’s just one thing I have to do.”</p><p>She found Leia on the other side of the Falcon, overseeing the rebels readying transports for evac. </p><p>“Let’s get as much of the weapons and fuel as we can manage,” Leia said, Connix scurrying off to direct the troops.</p><p>Sensing her presence, Leia turned toward Rey expectantly.</p><p>“Leia, I…” she trailed off, not really sure where to start. Did she apologize for storming out of the meeting? Explain what Leia witnessed in the hall? Tell her what she saw when she was training with Luke? What she felt when she peered into Kylo Ren’s mind?</p><p>Leia squeezed her hand. “I know. You don’t have to say it.”</p><p>Right. Sometimes she forgot where Leia’s talents lay. </p><p>But she was wrong. Rey did need to say it, to make Leia understand. </p><p>“I can save your son.” It was the knowledge that had been growing ever since the vision and her conversation with Luke. Dark suffocates light. Light extinguishes dark. But maybe there was another way.</p><p>She hated the way Leia’s face softened in to pity. “I believed that once, like you.”</p><p>But Rey was not about to be deterred. “There’s still good in him. I can feel it.” </p><p>“There’s good in all of us. But the boy I knew is gone.” Leia paused, a new worry laying heavy on her brow. “Rey, be careful.”</p><p>Rey jumped to her own defense. “Master Luke trained me well,” she said, bristling at the implication. Did everyone see right through her? </p><p>“I know he did,” said Leia, a soft smile playing across her lips. “But there are some things you can’t train for.”</p><p>Rey followed Leia’s gaze to where Poe stood watching them, his gaze steady on her even as Chewbacca tossed him a wrench. It hit the ground with a clatter.</p><p>Rey panicked. “I don’t-- What?”</p><p>Leia fixed her with a Look. “Come on, I, of all people, know how complicated this is.”</p><p>There was no way Leia knew. They’d been careful. She’d been careful, only seeking him out at night when the base was quiet and empty and everyone they knew was long asleep. And it wasn’t like they were actually <em> doing </em>anything besides sleeping in each other’s arms. Which, now that she thought about it, that might have been even more dangerous than the other things they could have been doing in that bed.</p><p>She was going to need a better definition of attachment, stat.</p><p>So Rey took the only route open to her: denial.</p><p>“I can’t. There are rules,” she sputtered, face burning. “Jedi rules.”</p><p>“Written by who? Some old man, a thousand years before you were born?” Leia scoffed, rolling her eyes. </p><p>“My whole life, I heard one word. <em> Balance. </em> I never really understood what it meant. Until the first time I saw you. I heard that word again, like it was being whispered to me. <em> Balance. </em>”</p><p>She paused, taking Rey’s hand in her own. </p><p>“You’re not like my father. Or my brother. You’re <em> new </em> . Whatever else happens, the Force chose <em> you, </em> Rey. And your story isn’t written by anyone else.”</p><p>Rey blinked at the woman she’d come to love like a mother over the years. Was she actually telling her to….</p><p>Her thought was interrupted by a sonorous boom, the aftershocks nearly knocking them both off their feet. Stones fell. Dust choked the air. Klaxons went off at every station.</p><p>Somewhere among the gloom and falling rocks a tech called out, “Resurgent Class Star Destroyer detected! We’re taking fire!”</p><p>The First Order was here.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! And thank you to everyone who kudosed or commented or clicked on this. It's making my quarantine to see people enjoying my writing. So please, please let me know what you think, and I promise to keep up the pace.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. We’re Gonna Need Someone on the Guns!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As the First Order arrives at Korilev, the Resistance mounts a daring escape.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sooo this is the chapter when things start to get interesting. And when I start adding in some scenes of my own. Everything I've added has 100% fit with the script, they're just enhancing the story (and making it a bit more cohesive). I like to think of them as deleted scenes. So let me know what you think. And just wait until we get to Bonadan in couple chapters...</p><p>A couple of warnings: we have some canon typical death here, nothing graphic. Rey is also violently ill toward the end, so trigger warning for vomit.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hux sneered at the scene unfolding on the viewscreen, all the little ants running to and fro, unaware they were about to be stomped out for good. </p><p>“Decimate any ships leaving the planet, and keep up a steady stream of fire,” he instructed to the bridge at large. These first shots would serve as a distraction, something to get their blood pumping before the real show began. He turned his attention to the weapons tech. “Charge the primary weapon.”</p><p>“Chancellor, their shields are failing.”</p><p>Useless rebels. They couldn’t even survive long enough for him to kill them properly. “Back off, I don’t want them dead before the main show.”</p><p>Yes, this would show the galaxy what it meant to defy the First Order. He didn’t care what Ren said, there would never be anything insignificant about the power to destroy a planet. Ren could keep his black magic and ancient religions, Hux was quite happy with his technological masterpieces, thank you very much.</p><p>“Primary weapon charged, sir.”</p><p> Hux smiled, the feeling rather foreign on his face.</p><p>“Fire!”</p><p> </p><p>The emergency intercom clicked on overhead, a cool voice Rey didn’t recognize blaring from every speaker. “Emergency evac. All personnel and craft to Rendezvous Point Crimson.”</p><p>Immediately, guards surrounded Leia, the older woman slipping seamlessly from mother to General. “Route all unarmored transports to the Eclipse, it’s our only way out.”</p><p>She was too good at this. They were all too good at this. Five years and at least that many bases. No corner of the galaxy was safe too long for them. Where they went, the First Order surely followed, bringing death and destruction for anyone in their path. It was exhausting.</p><p>Leia looked at her, something more she wanted to tell Rey in her eyes, but Poe’s voice drew both of their attentions.</p><p>“Rey! We have to go!” he shouted from the ramp of the Falcon, terror on his face.</p><p>She turned to look at Leia again.</p><p>“Go!” cried Leia over the blaring horns and continued announcements. “We’ll see you in a few days at the rendezvous.”</p><p>Rey didn’t answer, instead turning to run through the crowds to the Falcon. </p><p>When she got there, Poe was shouting to Finn and Rose. “Go! Get out of here!” He waved them off, dragging Rey up the ramp and into the cockpit.</p><p>She immediately dropped into the pilot’s seat and started flicking switches and priming the engines, Poe doing the same a second later next to her.</p><p>Chewie roared his displeasure.</p><p>“I know, I know,” said Poe, continuing to smash buttons and pull levers, “your chair.”</p><p>Rey reached behind her to bring the weapons online. Just in case. “Can we maybe talk about this later?”</p><p>With a huff, Chewie took one of the back seats, immediately going to work at one of the engineering panels. They were gonna need all the help they could get.</p><p>Another second and they were up, the Phantom Hawk flying along side as they both dodged laser blasts from the Finalizer.</p><p>“Kriff, I thought I blew that ship up years ago!” shouted Poe as they took a hit, the Falcon’s shields dropping to 56%. “BB-8, get to work on trying to keep these shields up!” With an affirmative beep, the droid hooked into a scomp terminal.</p><p>The entire jungle burned around them, only the area covered by their shield unharmed. Another planet decimated thanks to them. Would this never end? At least the ships were safe, all flying into the main hangar bay of the Eclipse like bees to a hive.</p><p>She could have sworn she heard Finn’s voice in her head, a soft “Good luck, Rey,” before they parted.</p><p>“You too,” she whispered back, earning a strange look from Poe. She ignored it, focusing on getting them off planet before something truly terrible happened.</p><p>Overhead, the Eclipse winked out of existence, making the jump to hyperspace, the Phantom Hawk following a second later.</p><p>As if brought by her thoughts, a superlaser bolt sprung from the Finalizer, a direct hit to the failing base shields.</p><p>One second, the base was beneath them, a few teams still trying to evacuate from the ground.</p><p>The next, the entire planet had erupted in hellfire, the Millennium Falcon mere seconds ahead of the blast.</p><p>But it was gaining on them.</p><p>“We need more power to the sublight engines!” shouted Rey, hitting switches so fast her hands were blurring. Behind them, she felt as each and every life on Korilev winked out in the Force, swallowing down the roiling nausea in her stomach.</p><p>She’d felt that once before, on Takodana, when the First Order decimated the Hosnian System. Then, she’d barely known what the Force was, had only come into a mere fraction of her power, and as such the feeling that washed over her was a fraction of that pain. Now, with her connection strong and whole, she fought for every breath against the rising dread and bile.</p><p>But she couldn’t focus on that, not when the remnants of Korilev were headed their way.</p><p>A shockwave of heat and debris hit them, the ship rocking from the blast. Rocks the size of mountains joined them in space, Poe immediately starting evasive maneuvers.</p><p>Chewie whined.</p><p>“I know!” shouted Poe, narrowly dodging what looked like a piece of the shield generator. “We can’t make the jump with all this debris.”</p><p>“But neither can that Star Destroyer,” she shot back.</p><p>A smile stretched across Poe’s face. “Chewie, cloak our signal!”</p><p>Chewie barked his assent, hitting a series of toggles and switches in the back.</p><p>There was a loud boom and the Falcon lurched, alarms blazing across the console. A second passed and then another resounding boom, this time Rey recognizing it as laser fire.</p><p>“Who’s this?” asked Poe, trying to evade the relentless fire. Another direct hit rocked the ship. </p><p>They both noticed the monitor at the same time.</p><p>Poe’s eyes went wide. “That can’t be…”</p><p>“The Knights of Ren,” Rey finished, trying to fish her heart out of her throat. She turned to Poe. “Let me fly.”</p><p>“I’ve got the yoke. My yoke.”</p><p>“My ship!”</p><p>Chewie roared. They were both wrong. It was his ship.</p><p>But they didn’t have time for this, not when the Knights of Ren would blow them out of the sky any second now. With a flick of a switch Rey transferred control to herself, ignoring Poe’s shouted “Hey!” as she started to navigate them through the debris field.</p><p>“We’re gonna need someone on the guns!” she shouted as another chunk of mountain scraped the upper hull. “Fast!”</p><p>Poe took off running, disappearing into the lower gun bay as Chewie dropped into the co-pilot’s seat.</p><p>Rey put on one of the headsets, waiting to hear Poe’s voice on the other side. Some heavy breathing, and then: “Ready!”</p><p>It was like having him right next to her, his voice directly in her ear. </p><p>“Lay some cover!” she shouted, dodging both space junk and laser blasts. The Falcon dipped and bobbed to her every whim.</p><p>“On it!” he yelled right back, soft curses coming through the earpiece as the Knights evaded his fire.</p><p>She dodged and weaved and he blasted, the two of them making quite the team as they tried to find their way out of the debris field. Then again, that was nothing new. They both knew how well they worked together. It was part of the problem.</p><p>But now was not the time to worry about that, not when half a mountain range was headed straight for them. </p><p>It gave her an idea.</p><p>“Poe, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”</p><p>She could hear the smile in his voice when he answered, “I’m already there. On your mark.”</p><p>“Three,” said Rey, not letting herself think about anything else as she sped them straight for the floating mountains, the Knights of Ren hot on her tail. “Two.” She could feel them, their blind hatred coming to her through the Force. “One.” She waited until they were seconds away from collision to shout, “Now!”</p><p>Poe’s aim was true, blasting a hole through the mountain and sending chunks of rock flying into their pursuers. Another second and she had them out of the debris field, and into open space.</p><p>“We’re clear!” shouted Rey. Next to her, Chewie raised his arms and roared in victory.</p><p>Poe’s dark head popped out of the gun well a second later. “Punch it!”</p><p>He didn’t have to tell her twice.</p><p>Rey leaned forward, pulling back the lever to take them between the stars. </p><p>Poe dropped into the seat behind her a second later. “That was some flying back there.”</p><p>As the adrenaline of the chase left her in a rush, Rey’s stomach lurched, one hand clapping over her mouth as she got up and ran from the cockpit.</p><p>She just made it to the fresher before depositing her lunch into the toilet, tears squeezing from her eyes from the burn in her throat. Over and over she retched, gentle hands holding back her hair after the first couple times.</p><p>“It’s okay,” said Poe, one hand rubbing her back as she coughed and gagged. “Let it out.”</p><p>Soon enough, there was nothing left to give, Rey panting and dry heaving as she rested her head on her arms over the toilet seat.</p><p>Poe flushed it.</p><p>“You might not want to rest your head there,” he said, still rubbing soft circles into her back. “I’m pretty sure this hasn’t been cleaned since the First Galactic War.”</p><p>Rey barked out a laugh, wincing at the way it scraped against her raw throat. Poe handed her a bottle of water.</p><p>She tried a tiny sip, waiting to see if it stayed down before trying again.</p><p>“You okay?” he finally asked when she was halfway through the bottle.</p><p>She looked at him, at the concern in his dark eyes as he sat with her on the floor of the ‘fresher. There was barely enough floor space for the two of them, Rey practically in his lap as she hovered over the toilet even with his back pressed against the far wall. </p><p>“I could feel it, on Korilev. When they all died. When each life disappeared in the Force.” She swallowed thickly, just the memory of that feeling making her want to gag. “There were so many. Beings and animals and plants. It was awful.”</p><p>“Oh, Rey.” </p><p>It was against all the rules she made for them. It wasn’t nighttime. They weren’t on base. Neither were suffering from nightmares or insomnia. But when he opened his arms, she didn’t hesitate to crawl into his lap, letting his comforting warmth bleed into her shaking limbs.</p><p>This was the one place she always felt safe, and after the visions and the feelings and the death of the day, she’d earned it. So she pushed down the guilt, and let herself be soothed by his gentle touch as they hurtled toward the next step in their destiny.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “General, the shields are at eight percent. We can’t wait any longer.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> They had seconds, not minutes before the First Order blew through their defenses. Seconds for Leia to make the choice between life and death. For her to make the choice of who lived and who died. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> If they didn’t leave immediately, they would all die here. She had to save as many as possible. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> So with multiple teams still on the ground below them, Leia made the call and condemned the rest to death. “Take us into hyperspace.” </em>
</p><p>Those final moments before Korilev joined Alderaan and the Hosnian System in the annals of history continued to play on repeat in her head.</p><p>Leia closed her eyes, trying to find the peace and patience she’d spent years cultivating within herself. But when she looked inside, all she found was the simmering rage of her youth. Another planet gone. How many would she be forced to lose in her lifetime? How many times would she need to hear the sound of millions of voices suddenly crying out before falling silent?</p><p>As many as it took, apparently.</p><p>But there was nothing she could do as she watched the blue swirl of hyperspace on the viewscreen. She’d saved as many as she could. Finn and Rose had her message. Rey and Poe had what was left of her hope. There was nothing else for her to do but wait. The fate of the galaxy was in their hands, now.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Teach Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kylo Ren finds a new Master on Remnicore.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this is a villain-heavy chapter. BUT on the other side of this lays the Bonadan chapters which are so unbelievably Damerey you guys are going to flip. And I didn't even have to change much (or anything, really). I guess this is just me asking you guys to bear with me. The script's story is amazing and writing it is a dream, but there are some parts that are less Damerey than others. And all the characters have their own arcs, which take them apart at times. But I promise you the ending is worth it. So, read on! I truly hope you enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Remnicore was still as Kylo Ren flew over the blackened landscape, the steady scream of his TIE Silencer the only sound. It reminded him of the shiny black of Mustafar, only here the darkness was veined in bright silver, as if the slow moving lava was made of precious metal or jewels. </p>
<p>There was no sign of life as he flew over valleys and mountains and flatlands all in that same silver-veined black. Even the trees were anemic, spindly, windswept things despite the air being deathly still. </p>
<p>It seemed very unlikely this barren wasteland could offer him anything approaching the power of life itself.</p>
<p>But he continued on, flying low as he approached a structure that appeared man-made. Stone, ancient and cracking, rose out of the ground, battlements and towers and a keep all in disrepair. A fortress of some sort, one over which a battle had been fought many years ago, judging by the beastly skeletons littering the grounds. </p>
<p>A blinking red dot lit up his console. Lifeform detected.</p>
<p>He brought the TIE down, tattered flags waving in the ion exhaust.</p>
<p>Exiting his ship, he picked his way through the battlefield, stepping over suits of armor and moth-eaten capes, dessicated husks peeking out here and there. A feeling settled over him, dread and fear and loathing all mixed into one. Something terrible happened here. But to who?</p>
<p>He scanned the battlefield. </p>
<p>And there, on a helmet, the ancient symbol of the Sith, proudly displayed. A Sith Army then. Whatever war they’d fought, it ended centuries ago, the Sith left to rot while the Jedi lived on. And on. And on.</p>
<p>But not for much longer.</p>
<p>Soon, he’d have the power to end the Jedi once and for all, and the scavenger along with them. </p>
<p>His thoughts were more and more occupied by the scavenger these days. By Rey. The name felt like a caress on his tongue. There was something about that woman that he simply could not shake. Though Snoke had claimed responsibility for their bond, it had lingered all these years, long after his former master’s death.</p>
<p>The memory of her eyes on him as he completed his transformation brought heat to his cold and pallid skin. </p>
<p>She was older now. No longer a girl, but a woman grown. Much like her power in the Force. It was vibrant, palpable, thrumming. And beautiful. She was oh so beautiful. Snoke had been right about her all those years ago. So had Kylo.</p>
<p>But it was the way his mind dwelled on her that made her the most dangerous of all. A weakness, one his grandfather had known too well. One that had brought about his ultimate fall and end. It was why he had to end her himself, even as the very thought of her death repulsed him. If not, then she would be his undoing. The Force had shown him as much.</p>
<p>The courtyard was littered with more detritus of ages past, rocks and bones crunching beneath his boot with each step. Finally, he found himself in front of a great door, the heavy wood creaking in protest as he pushed it open.</p>
<p>Whispers greeted him in the ancient entry hall, beckoning him deeper and deeper into the abandoned keep. That dread was so thick in the air he could practically taste it, oily and thick on his tongue. His boots scraped against stone as he followed those voices down one hall and up another, each passageway looking like the one before it until he couldn’t have found his way out if he tried. Though it was dark, he didn’t dare ignite his saber, not when he couldn’t be certain if the source of those voices wanted him dead or alive.</p>
<p>Louder and louder they grew, until he found himself in front of another door, this one carved with intricate shapes. A man screaming. A shriveled uneti. A snarling beast. They told a story, one Kylo wasn’t sure he was ready to hear.</p>
<p>He pushed open the door.</p>
<p>The voices cut off immediately, as if wanting to see what he’d do next. </p>
<p>He stepped deeper into the room, taking in the piles of discarded tech, ship parts, and old furniture. At one end, a fire blazed white hot, crackling in a huge stone pit. Junk. It was full of junk. </p>
<p>“Reveal yourself,” came a deep voice from nowhere, Kylo spinning to find the source. He ignited his saber.</p>
<p>“I seek the Sith Master Tor Valum,” he said, his voice sounding a whole hell of a lot more confident than he felt. </p>
<p>The voice chuckled. “I am no Master.”</p>
<p>Ren watched as one of the piles shifted, rearranging itself into roughly the shape of a man. But he was not human, his face monstrous, brownish grey skin stretched and leathery, with six eyes spaced in two groups of three. </p>
<p>“But I was called Tor Valum”</p>
<p>Kylo Ren didn’t so much as blink, his saber still raised in a defensive position. “You trained Darth Plagueis?”</p>
<p>“That name means nothing to me,” said Tor Valum, his voice a deep scrape against Ren’s ears.</p>
<p>Anger flashed through him at the insolence, raising that saber so it was mere inches from Tor Valum’s gruesome face. “Does your life?”</p>
<p>Valum laughed, the sound anything but cheerful. Sharp teeth shone in the firelight. “You threaten me with death. How amusing.”</p>
<p>“You are weak,” growled Ren through bared teeth. “I feel nothing.”</p>
<p>And it was true. The creature in front of him was practically a void in the Force, no more or less than any other living being. He had no great power.</p>
<p>“You feel what I allow you to feel, <em> child</em>.” He appraised Ren for another moment, extending a long, sinewy finger toward his mask. “Reveal yourself.”</p>
<p>A thrum of power accompanied the command. On a weaker mind, it would have resulted in immediate action, more powerful than even a Jedi mind trick. But on Ren, it simply demonstrated the power was there, available to use when needed. In response, he chose to remove the helmet.</p>
<p>Though Ren couldn’t see his own face, something there amused Tor Valum, a gleeful smile playing over his stretched-thin lips. “So, you wish to obtain the power of those who came before. Take your place among the Gods of Mortis.”</p>
<p>“I do.”</p>
<p>That was apparently the correct answer, because Tor Valum went on. “To rule the galaxy without armies, without starships.”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“And yet, you fear the frailty of your vessel.” He gestured vaguely to Kylo’s damaged face. “You need this power.”</p>
<p>Kylo’s jaw tensed as he bit back words. This was becoming tedious and his patience growing thin. Instead, he gave a stiff nod.</p>
<p>All six of the creature’s eyes narrowed in calculation, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Kneel before me.”</p>
<p>It was a test, even in his anger Ren could see that. One he needed to pass if he wanted to train with this beast. If he wanted to attain that power. So, he kneeled.</p>
<p>Tor Valum relished in his subservience. “You call yourself a Sith. But the Sith are unrepentant, remorseless.” He paused, tilting his head as if he could see into Kylo’s very soul. “But you, you’re haunted by your past, your very existence.”</p>
<p>Images flashed through his mind, rapid fire. </p>
<p>
  <em> A happy family on Chandrila, all soft words and soft breezes. A young boy, padawan braid in hair, looking up to his uncle for guidance. That same boy, no longer so young, watching as the Temple burned around him. A pilot, an old friend at that, screaming as his mind was breached. A young scavenger, teeth bared as she told him he would never be as strong as Darth Vader. His father, moments away from death, as he touched his cheek one last time before falling into the depths of Starkiller Base. Rey’s face as he extended a hand toward her, offering her everything anyone could ever dream of... </em>
</p>
<p>The vision ended as abruptly as it began, his breath heaving in his chest.</p>
<p>“I have no regrets,” he growled.</p>
<p>But his new master wasn’t having it. “You lie,” he snarled, that face contorting into something even more horrific. “Until you sever yourself from the past, your fate will be the same as theirs.” He motioned toward the window, another ancient battlefield on full display below. </p>
<p>The withered husks of both Jedi and Sith laid side by side, no features to distinguish them beside their armor. In death, all things were equal.</p>
<p>“The living Force is nourishment. The more one consumes, the stronger one becomes. To take life… is to cheat death.”</p>
<p>Kylo turned to him, a rough smile spreading across his damaged face. “Teach me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Knife 9 spun off its axis, courtesy of a chunk of what used to be Korilev. Jaedec Ren gritted his teeth, taking only a second to right the ship. Though that second was all the Millennium Falcon needed to stretch slightly before it blinked out of existence, slipping through their fingers once more.</p>
<p>Jaedec found he wasn’t even angry about it. In fact, he found himself impressed. The girl was a much more formidable opponent than their Supreme Leader had let on, her presence in the Force near blinding. So full of love. And anger. A dangerous combination for a Jedi. And one he would have no trouble exploiting when they faced each other once more.</p>
<p>Speaking of that next engagement, he walked toward the back of the ship. There, in a glass chamber of their own design, lay Hattaska in his induced sleep, the wires protruding from his mask leading directly into the main computer. His dreams guiding them every step of the way.</p>
<p>He could find anyone like this, even those who didn’t want to be found. </p>
<p>If only they had been called in for the search for Skywalker, that story would have ended much differently.</p>
<p>But Skywalker was long dead and they had a new quarry now.</p>
<p>“What do you see, brother?” he whispered to the man in the tank, pressing his hand flat to the glass. Behind him, Lorl and Ott gathered close to hear the answer.</p>
<p>They had gotten close enough for him to track her, Jaedec could feel it. If he could sense her presence in the Force with his meager abilities, then his brother here would have no trouble locking on to her. </p>
<p>Hattaska’s hand lifted, lining up perfectly with Jaedec’s on his side of the glass.</p>
<p>Jaedec Ren closed his eyes. </p>
<p>“Set a course for Bonadan.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think about the chapter and then get ready for Thursday's Damerey-fest.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. We Gotta Talk About Your Style, Buddy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Poe and Rey arrive on Bonadan, blending in proves key.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The first of the Bonadan chapters! These were some of my favorite to write for this since I basically got to fill in the blanks on this planet based off what the script said. Plus, there are so many good moments in here, I had to split it up a little more than I originally thought. So this is the first of three completely Poe and Rey chapters in a row. Colin Trevorrow knew what was up.</p>
<p>Hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as they entered the atmosphere, Rey knew she was going to like Bonadan. </p>
<p>Water spread out beneath them as far as the eye could see, its crystalline surface reflecting the sky and the soft light of the permanent twilight this planet enjoyed back at them. It was more water than she’d ever imagined existed back when she lived on Jakku. Of course, she knew better now, but it somehow had never lost its novelty. As they flew on, tiny pockets of land appeared here and there, the green of grass and trees poking out of the water. Connected by an extensive series of bridges, the islands were all lit up with strings of festive lanterns, hung across land and bridges alike, their light providing a heavenly glow. </p>
<p>They headed toward the main port town, Poe explaining in that easy way he had that the planet was known for its extensive night markets. Anything you could possibly think of was on display, for a price of course. That’s where they’d find this navigator, among the wares and entertainment of the main market. A thrum of nerves went through her at the thought.</p>
<p>Boats lined the water as Rey brought them down on one of the landing pads, the multi-level docking array looking like something out of a fairytale. The pads could raise or lower a ship at will, taking them to the water’s edge or high above the boats. </p>
<p>Rey looked around in wonder, her eyes not big enough to take it all in. So they darted to and fro, latching on to the colorful tents of the market before darting over to the shining boats that floated along the water and then over to the twilit sky, a soft purplish blue that just barely showed the stars.</p>
<p>When she glanced over toward the co-pilot’s seat, she found Poe watching her, his eyes drinking in her reaction. Her mind drifted to earlier, when gentle hands soothed her enough that she fell asleep in his arms. When she woke hours later in one of the bunks, she could only assume he’d carried her from the fresher as he snored on next to her, one arm resting across her middle. He looked so young lying next to her, his face smooth in sleep. She couldn’t resist brushing a soft curl from his forehead, something she’d never have the guts to do when he was awake. Something she probably shouldn’t have done while he was asleep.</p>
<p>No matter how much she swallowed the feelings down, they always seemed to pop back up when she least expected, like emotional vomit.</p>
<p>She shuddered internally. There had to be a better metaphor for that.</p>
<p>Rey blinked, realizing a second too late that Poe was speaking to her. Here. In the present. </p>
<p>He gave her a funny look. “I said, we probably need to go deal with the docking authority out there.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” she said, still not wanting to look away.</p>
<p>Another beat passed. “Um, like now?” Chewie let out a soft roar from the main hold. “We’re coming!”</p>
<p>“Right.” She shook her head to clear it, following Poe out of the cockpit a second later.</p>
<p>Rey let him go ahead to deal with the authorities, staying behind to pack her bag and clip her saber onto her belt. She had changed into something halfway between the Jedi robes Luke preferred in life and the scavenger’s apparel she’d grown up wearing, the soft beige helping her blend in on most planets. </p>
<p>Except Bonadan.</p>
<p>She stepped outside to find the entire planet a riot of color, women and men alike in jewel toned fabrics draped across their bodies in fantastic ways. </p>
<p>Just ahead, Poe was having a disagreement with a couple of Langoles, their stumpy bodies nearly dwarfed by the datapads they had in hand.</p>
<p>“I know it’s a Corellian light freighter,” Poe was saying in an exasperated tone, “but you’re gonna say it’s a Praddor Cruiser in the registry. That’s why I winked when I gave you the credits. Understand what’s happening here?”</p>
<p>The two chattered in their nonsensical sounding language, a collection of chirps and odd throat sounds that apparently Poe understood.</p>
<p>“Okay, which one of you is in charge because you’re both the size of children where I come from.”</p>
<p>Rey came up beside him, laying what she hoped was a calming hand on his forearm. “Everything ok over here?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, we’re just-” Poe cut off, getting a good look at her. “Whoa, whoa, you can’t go out like that. You look like a…” He trailed off, eyes looking left to right to make sure they weren’t overheard before whispering, “Jedi.”</p>
<p>Rey tried not to giggle at the seriousness in his tone. “It’s not a curse word.”</p>
<p>“It is if the First Order finds us,” he replied, scanning the small market below. Finally, his eyes caught on a little stand just at the edge of their docking station. “We need to tone you down a bit. Hey Chewie, can you straighten these guys out?”</p>
<p>Chewie nodded, taking over the negotiations while the pad lowered to water-level. </p>
<p>Rey’s stomach dropped when it started to move, her hand instinctively reaching for Poe’s. He didn’t drop it as he headed toward one of the merchants.</p>
<p>The stand was small and the woman running it even smaller, old and hunched and toothless as she showed them her wares. </p>
<p>Silken garments of every color of the rainbow hung from lengths of rope, some with golden embroidery and others with sequins and fringe. Rey ran her hand over the smooth fabric, the attire finer than anything she’d ever owned. Without looking in one of the hanging mirrors, she knew her gaze was wistful. All of her clothes were basic, utilitarian, nothing so soft or lovely or pointless belonged to a Jedi. And the colors! Sunset pink and deepest blue and brightest yellow. There was no way she could pick.</p>
<p>Poe had no such problem. “How much for this one?” he asked, holding up an emerald green frock with golden embroidery along the edges. Her favorite color. Poe always said it brought out the green in her eyes.</p>
<p>Rey dug some credits out of her satchel, the old woman shaking her head and giving her a toothless smile.</p>
<p>She tried again, holding the credits out. “For the dress.”</p>
<p>“No, no,” said the woman in heavily accented basic. She closed Rey’s hand around the money, pushing it away. “For happy couple.”</p>
<p>Rey’s face burned hotter than the Jakku sun as she accepted the dress, the lady demonstrating the best way to fold and drape the fabric around her. </p>
<p>“Like this,” she said, performing a complicated drape on her own sari, as they were apparently called. Rey tried to replicate it, to no avail. The woman motioned her back into a little tent. “Come, come.”</p>
<p>Poe, who had been watching the proceedings with no little interest swallowed thickly. “I’m just gonna go check on Chewie,” he said, giving her a nod. </p>
<p>There was a familiar roar and they both turned in enough time to see Chewie lift one of the Langoles off the ground, threatening to throw him into the water.</p>
<p>“Now. I’m gonna go check on Chewie right now,” he said, running for the dock. </p>
<p>Rey laughed as she disappeared into the tent.</p>
<p>____________</p>
<p>Poe took off running, getting to Chewie right before he dunked the registrar. “Chewie!” he shouted, skidding to a halt. “Let’s put the nice local authority down.”</p>
<p>Chewie gave a bark.</p>
<p>“No, what I said was to negotiate. Persuade. Perhaps a little more quietly.”</p>
<p>The Wookiee put the tiny Langole down with a chuff.</p>
<p>“That’s what you call negotiating? We gotta talk about your style, buddy.” Poe dug into his bag, finding the credits that Leia had given him for just this occasion. He turned to the Langoles. “So, hundred credits each? Does that sound about right?” he asked, counting out the currency. “For your trouble, of course.”</p>
<p>The two males perked up, nodding at the influx of money. </p>
<p>Everyone had a price.</p>
<p>Poe handed out the credits, making sure that the records all stated they landed a Praddor Cruiser. “Lovely doing business with you,” he said, shaking each of their hands in turn.</p>
<p>He smiled until they were out of sight, turning toward Chewie. “You cost me 200 extra credits.”</p>
<p>Chewie shrugged, walking back into the Falcon to join BB-8. Nice. Real nice.</p>
<p>Poe shook his head, turning back toward the market. His heart stopped dead in his chest.</p>
<p>There, walking back toward him, was Rey, the emerald and gold sari shining in the permanent twilight. </p>
<p>Though always beautiful, now she nearly took his breath away. The hood was up, her dark brown hair just barely peeking out from where it curled softly at her shoulders, loose for once. As she drew closer, he took in the way her creamy skin played off the dress, how prominent the freckles now were on her face. She’d long since lost the tan from Jakku, her natural skin tone a much paler hue. Her hazel eyes shone bright green in the fading light, drinking in the emerald of the silk. Just like he’d imagined when he picked the color for her.</p>
<p>“You ready?” she asked, drawing level with him. “Poe?”</p>
<p>He was lost in her eyes, and it took him a few blinks to come back to himself. “Right, yeah. We should probably head over to the Night Market. That’s where she’ll be.”</p>
<p>Rey’s face screwed up in confusion and he tried (and failed) not to think about how sweet and young it made her look. “That wasn’t the Night Market?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at the raggedy collection of stalls behind her.</p>
<p>Poe chuckled, gathering his wits about him enough to offer her his arm. “Not quite. But if you’ll follow me.”</p>
<p>Rey’s answering smile was enough to set his heart racing. Even more so when she linked her arms through his and replied, “Lead the way.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! Drop me a line and let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Next up is some Night Market goodness, not to mention some of the best Damerey parts of the script. These two are getting closer, I wonder what happens when they collide?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Definitely Not the Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Poe and Rey share a moment on Bonadan.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Since it's May the Fourth and I had nothing planned because I was supposed to be at Galaxy's Edge (thanks Coronavirus) have the next chapter! Something tells me this may be the chapter you've been waiting for...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>And lead her he did, straight to one of the ferries dotting the various water-level docks. Rey stood at the bow of the ship, her eyes closed as she smiled at the feel of the wind on her face. Under the hood, her hair fell loose around her shoulders, the breeze catching it in fascinating ways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s like flying,” she said, a little breathless as they cut through the crystal blue waters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe let his own eyes fall closed, allowing himself enjoy the wind whipping through his curls, the memories of his time here brought to the surface. “It really is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he opened them, he found Rey watching him, so close that he could count the freckles on her face. The perpetual twilight shone in her eyes, and as they rounded another small island, he saw the moment the Night Market came into her view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A soft gasp and those eyes went wide, filled with the brightly colored tents and strings of lights and the wandering crowd. Even from the water you could smell the meats cooking and hear the strains of music as a band played.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d never seen Rey’s face so alive with wonder as when the boat docked, the realization that they were headed into that teaming market leaving her absolutely giddy in anticipation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If there was one thing Poe knew in that moment, it was that he’d do anything to keep that smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grabbing his hand, Rey dove headfirst into the crowd, her eyes darting this way and that as she tried to figure out where to look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was a lot to look at. The makeshift streets were lined on either side with brightly colored tents and stalls and even a few sturdy looking shops, patrons flitting to and fro between them. Aliens of every size, shape, and planet milled about, the melting pot reminding him of the camp on Kuat, albeit with much cleaner clientele. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the sounds! It was near deafening, old friends greeting each other and merchants calling their wares amid the soft jingle of the native dancers, their bellies on fully display as hips moved to the music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey watched with a single-minded fascination as the performance went on, the ropes of copper coins dangling from their hips tinkling as they shimmied and spun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noticing a few of the onlookers moving in time to the music, he leaned over and whispered in Rey’s ear, “We could dance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink as she shook her head and looked down, a soft smile on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? I think I’d look amazing in an outfit like that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She burst out laughing, eyes bright and smile so wide it showed most of her teeth. “Come on, before you get any more great ideas.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They delved deeper into the market, to where packs of teenagers ran from stand to stand, daring each other to try to some sort of toad on a stick or the stewed eyeballs of a native beast. Rey’s attention caught once more on a man doing cheap magic tricks on the corner, his own approximations nothing like the raw power she could control in the Force. Now that was true magic. But she watched anyway, delighted when he pulled some furry rodent out of a hat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they continued, a barker from a traveling freak show beckoned them to his booth. “Come witness the frothing eye of Loyyil Karn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe hurried them past in case Rey got any ideas. Going to one of those shows was like asking to be pickpocketed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he guided them closer to the shore, boats dotting the sparkling seas with their bright sails.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air was clear out here, the clean scent of saltwater washing away all the strangeness from the marketplace. He knew they should be trying to find Nomi in this mess, that there were plans and a timeline and bigger destinies at play, but he couldn’t help but want to stay in this moment for just a little longer. When the rest of the galaxy faded away and they were just Poe and Rey, out for a night on the town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wind picked up, lifting Rey’s headcovering. She shifted a little uncomfortably, unused to the fancy clothes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever had been holding him back snapped in that moment, with her face open and lovely in the permanent twilight. “You look beautiful,” he said softly, his eyes catching hers. “Very much like a local.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her cheeks pinked again, gaze dropping to the water. “You’ve been here before?” she asked, ignoring the happabore in the room. Right. Not the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, with my grandfather,” he said, turning his attention to the boats. “We used to sail, right out there. You’ve never seen so many lights.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to him, her gaze turned wistful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you remember?” he asked so quietly, he wasn’t even sure she heard him. In fact, she was so still that he thought she hadn’t until…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My father would build starships out of wood.” She squinted into the distance. “I had a whole fleet of them. A-wings and X-wings and little freighters. They fit in the palm of my hand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down at her palm as if she half expected to find one there. It nearly broke his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe remained silent, hoping she’d continue. His patience paid off a second later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I used to make them fly.” Her eyes shuttered, a single tear leaking from one corner. “It made my mother laugh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe itched to reach out, comfort her in the only way he knew how. The Dameron men were huggers. Poe was, his father was, and his father before him. But Rey was not. And he knew he’d already been pushing it in the Falcon earlier. Now was not the time to try his luck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he stilled his fingers and used his words instead. “Anything else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love. I remember so much love. That’s why I waited for so long.” She paused, swallowing thickly but no more tears fell. “Nevermind. I must have imagined it. They were no one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t even take another second for Poe to break his own rule, fingers finding hers on the railing. When she looked up, those hazel eyes contained an entire galaxy. Poe’s entire galaxy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one is no one,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Each breath was a little infinity as Rey’s eyes remained locked on his, the moment stretching, time stalling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes went wide, catching on something over his shoulder. He followed her gaze to a trio of grey mechtroopers, their armor so out of place among the pretty jeweled things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe reached for his blaster, but Rey shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” She looked around for a second before settling on a small stall just across the alley and pulling Poe in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tripped the last step, leaving them nearly chest to chest in the tiny tent. He took a breath, his heart thundering. “That was close.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey gave him a small smile, leaning slightly closer. “Yeah, it was.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cassasan! Nep. Nep,” barked an old Utai woman, the owner of this fine establishment. A few other Utai wandered around the back. Poe blinked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held out a ladle, vigorously pointing at him. Right. Clawfish soup. She wanted him to taste it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no,” he said with his best smile, not wanting to offend anyone lest they draw the mechtroopers’ eyes. “Not hungry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looked through the thin flaps of the tent, giving him a look. The mechtroopers were two stalls away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the Utai woman was insistent. “Depee casssasan!” She practically shoved the full ladle into his face. His eyes watered at the scent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got one of the mechtrooper’s attention, his mask turning toward their tent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe panicked. “Ok, here. Just shhh.” He took a deep draft of the pungent liquid, just to keep her happy. “Mmm. See? Mmm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a second, but all of a sudden his mouth was on ablaze, the liquid burning like a fire straight down his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey gave him a look of concern. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he sputtered, unable to hold a cough in. Then another. “Spicy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Utai woman and her companions laughed. “Arno tow di?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s good,” he managed to get out before another coughing fit hit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gods, this stuff was lethal. He could feel it settling in his stomach in a molten puddle. This was not going to be fun later on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But for now, he had to worry about the coughing, Rey’s face telling him they were drawing some unwanted attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, Rey grabbed his shirt, pulling him in for a kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a second, he was so surprised he forgot to cough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like they were the only two people in the world, hells, the galaxy, with Rey’s lips soft on his own, her hood falling over to cover their faces. Oh, how long had he dreamed about this moment? Years. Far too long. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was over far too quickly, Rey pulling back even as Poe’s lips chased hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did it work?” she asked, face tentative and eyes nervous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe couldn’t help the soft grin on his so recently kissed lips. He brought one hand up to cup her cheek. “Well, I think so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He followed her gaze to the mechtroopers outside, having passed their tent with no incident. It slowly dawned on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that wasn’t--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” answered Rey, a little too quickly. But the flush creeping over her skin and the slightly heaving breaths gave her away. “It’s not the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bitter disappointment coursed through him. “Right. Definitely not the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though they were in agreement, neither moved, Poe’s hand still on her cheek and Rey seemingly content to let it stay there. Her eyes were muddy brown in the dim tent, but so bright he had to wonder if they were lit from within. The truth of the moment pounded through his veins. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He loved her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been there all along, undeniable no matter how hard he tried. Acknowledging it felt like a weight being lifted off his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had no greater wish than for time to stop, to let them have one single moment of peace, but Rey was already speaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Right. Let’s,” he replied, removing his hand from her warm skin. He swore she winced at the loss of contact, but it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath. “After you.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Dare I ask what you think?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. There's Always Another Path</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Poe and Rey meet with the navigator.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Time to meet the (infamous?) navigator. I think I've said this every chapter, but this is one of my favorites (I just really like this script, okay?). Anyway, I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Rey willed her heart to slow down as they finally found their way to this navigator. Though she told herself it was nerves, a natural reaction to meeting a strange alien on an unfamiliar planet, she wasn’t kidding anyone, least of all herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d kissed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as they walked side-by-side through the market, she could still feel Poe’s lips on her own, like a phantom kiss. Sure, it had been a convenient cover, but if she was being honest with herself, that wasn’t the only reason. If she was being honest with herself, she wanted to do it again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But once again, now was not the time. Too much depended on her having a clear heart and clear mind. No attachments. So she pushed that voice down, the one that kept screaming at her that she was in love with him, shoving it where she put the rest of the things she wasn’t allowed to have. The wants and the desires and the needs. Those were for other people, not Jedi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They approached a grand tent of deepest blue, much more permanent looking than the structures around it. It was massive, nearly two stories tall, it’s circular shape taking up enough space to house three or four of the regular stalls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe paused at the entrance, turning to her with a nervous expression on his face. “Now, when we get in there, go easy on the details. She doesn’t need to know who or why. Just what.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She eyed him. “And how do you know this person again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now’s definitely not the time for that story,” he muttered, pushing through the thick flaps of the tent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey followed him into a small antechamber set off by a beaded curtain, soft strains of an electroharp reaching their ears. Poe took off his shoes, and she followed suit, eventually walking through the beaded curtain a step behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remember,” he whispered, “keep it low on the details.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room was large and dimly lit by colorful hanging lanterns, a sweet-smelling haze rising as various aliens dragged on strange, smoking devices, their eyes heavy and faces blank. Scarves and silks draped overhead, giving Rey the impression that the ceiling was a lot closer than it was. Beneath her bare feet, the floor was made of small glass marbles set into duracrete niches. With every step, they rolled underfoot, leaving visitors slightly off balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there, in the center, sat a human-looking child, no older than five years. But even from this distance Rey could feel her presence in the Force, an age and wisdom no less than five times that of Rey’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon their entrance, the girl looked up from the couple in front of her, an eerie smile on her face. “A Jedi,” she said, voice soft and girlish. The hair on Rey’s arms raised. “The last.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every face in the room turned to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe sighed. “Or this. We can do it this way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl nodded at the couple before her, closing her eyes and touching their chests in some kind of blessing. “Go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The couple did as told, leaving two empty pillows in front of the navigator. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at Rey, her eyes a blue so bright Rey blinked in shock. “Come. Sit. The Jedi and the man. An old friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey and Poe exchanged a look. Poe gave her a slight nod, encouraging her to go forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She carefully picked her way across the strange marble floor, sitting on one of the pillows. Poe sat next to her a second later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am Nomi,” said the navigator, not waiting or needing for them to introduce themselves, “and you seek a place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A planet,” Rey answered, her voice strong despite the strangeness of the entire encounter. Next to her, Poe’s hand found hers and gave it a squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nomi stared at her with those strange eyes. “Mortis is the place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I saw it in--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was cut off instantly. “The mouth on the Jedi stops and the mind makes the picture. The Force fills the Jedi and reveals the destination.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey blinked, looking over to Poe for encouragement. He nodded. Once again she wondered how the kriff he knew this navigator, but did as she’d been told and closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let Nomi’s soft voice wash over her, feeling the Force fill her to the brim. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The destination is very old,” the girl, woman, whatever she was continued. “The first to know the Force. The first where the good was done. And the evil, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A soft gasp from Poe made Rey open her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gazed in wonder at the scene around them, the marbles from the floor hovering mid-air. The galaxy, it was the entire galaxy in marble form.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which one?” she asked, voice no more than a breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nomi nodded toward her. “The destination lies within.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, we’re in a hurry--” Poe started, finally losing patience for all this nonsense. Rey was surprised it took that long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The man will not speak,” Nomi interrupted sharply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Above them, the marbles swirled, shifting and changing in patterns unfamiliar to Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nomi’s voice brought her focus back. “The eyes close. Only the Jedi knows the path…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she quite knew what was happening, her eyes fell closed, the tent and Nomi’s high voice fading away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey found herself looking up at a snow covered mountain peak, a forest in brightly colored autumn around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There the two will meet, drawn together by the Force.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice was both Nomi’s and not, in her head and out loud, real and imagined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey blinked and she was standing in front of those thrones again, hewn right into the rock. And in front of them, pulsing from deep inside the mountain, a well of light.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The dark side and the light.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A cloaked figure stood in front of her, the mask unmistakable.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There she will make the sacrifice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a flash of red and a burst of pain as he once again struck her down, Rey instantly snapping out of the vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Back in the tent, she struggled to catch her breath on the soft pillow, Poe’s voice panicked next to her. “Wait, what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The marbles swirled and swirled overhead, a flat, black stone at the center. It fell, Nomi putting her hand out to catch it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, what do you mean ‘sacrifice?’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignoring Poe, Nomi handed the stone over to an even smaller alien seated at an easel. His brush flew over the paper, glancing up occasionally to check a location of a marble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nomi was looking at Poe with that impassive expression. “The Jedi must go alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey could feel his panic rising, bitter in the back of her throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, hold on a second.” He looked at Rey, but she wouldn’t make eye contact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tiny alien ripped the sheet from his easel and rolled it up before limping over to put it in Rey’s hand. Slowly, all the marbles lowered back into the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she said, her voice devoid of all emotion. All of her worst fears had been confirmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she had known all along, hadn’t she? Luke’s words to her in the training room floated through her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Force guides us towards balance. It doesn’t always show us what we want to see.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey had been ignoring what the Force was telling her in favor of a fantasy. The idea that she could share this burden, go on an adventure with Poe, be in love. All she was doing was wasting time. No more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe put out a hand to stop her, turning toward Nomi once more. “Whoa, whoa, what did she see?” he asked, panic making his eyes wild. When he didn’t immediately receive an answer, he turned toward Rey. “What did you see?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was so afraid, and that fear was written all over his face. Rey’s chest gave a lurch. She’d been right. It would never be the time for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, she didn’t have to answer his question, Nomi doing it for her. “The Jedi will make the journey. The journey will answer the question.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey started for the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What question?” he asked, getting up and following a step behind her. “Can we just all take a deep breath and talk about this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped at the beaded curtain, ignoring Poe’s continued protests in favor of turning back toward Nomi. “Is there another path?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nomi looked at her with those uncanny blue eyes, damn near glowing now in the gloom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s always another path.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments.</p><p>The next couple chapters check in on some of our other favs (ready for some FinnRose moments?!) before taking us back Bonadan. This is where it gets interesting, folks.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Can't It Be Easy? Just One Time.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finn and Rose head to Coruscant to activate the beacon.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A huge thank you to everyone reading and commenting and leaving kudos on this. I'm loving writing this, so it's always amazing to see other people loving that hard work. Hope you enjoy this FinnRose moment!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Rose looked out through the viewport as Coruscant came into view, building after building so crowded together they created a man-made mountain range. Down, down she took the Phantom Hawk, into one of the canyons between skyscrapers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All around them, life went on no matter how deep they went. Soon enough, the sky was blocked out by the mammoth structures on either side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So many people living underground,” said Finn next to her, watching as a mother walked with her two children, faces covered against the thick smog on this level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose just took them lower. “The rich don’t spend much time thinking about what they’re standing on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gods, she hated this planet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they were deep enough between the buildings to avoid detection, she turned them toward the blinking light on the monitor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The horrors of the past days had kept the cockpit mostly silent through the flight, Rose unable to close her eyes without seeing Korilev explode into a million pieces beneath her. So many more lives lost. So many goodbyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But none quite as strange as her final words with Rey. The other woman had lied to her, and Rose couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the last time she’d see her friend. At least, as she was now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, she was being silly. Rey was the most powerful person in the galaxy. She was more than capable of taking on that pathetic edgelord Ren. Plus, Poe was with her, and if there was one thing Rose knew, it was that Poe would never let anything bad happen to Rey. Right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At times like this, she needed to remember what they were fighting for, her fingers automatically reaching for the holo-pic on the console.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been taken just days before Starkiller and the escape from D’Qar, back when the war was cold and the only official fighting was over ideals in an ineffectual Senate. Her arms were wrapped around Paige and Paige’s arms were wrapped around her, their near identical faces side by side in the frame. They were laughing, had been unable to stop thanks to some ridiculous joke Nix had told just before snapping the picture. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For Paige, and for their homeworld, their parents, their family, she would see this to the end. See the galaxy freed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it,” said Finn next to her, Rose looking up from Paige’s face to find the temple rising just ahead. “Drop R2 and Threepio at ground level.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Master Finn,” came Threepio’s voice from the back. “I’m afraid all my knowledge of Coruscant is limited to the upper levels.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Artoo gave a snide beep, Rose snorting into her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elitist! Where do you even get these words?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took them down to below street level, Finn and Artoo coaxing a very reluctant Threepio off the ship. Then they were rising, up and up to the top of an abandoned skyscraper directly across from the temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose set them down amid the exposed beams and girders, all lights off to cloak their arrival. The air was slightly better here, breathable at least, even with the ever-present smell of ion exhaust. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn readied the grappling canon, securing it to the duracrete floor with two bolts before attaching the scope. With the practiced ease of a veteran sniper, he took aim, hitting the temple nearly a quarter mile away on the first try.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gods, she loved watching him like this. All that quiet competence. He didn’t need to be flashy, he just got the job done. It was no surprise why he hadn’t cut it as a stormtrooper. He was too good of a shot. And there was no point in denying it: Rose found it unbelievably sexy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if summoned by her thoughts, Finn turned to her. “Ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, she was unbelievably ready, just not necessarily for the mission. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she pushed those thoughts down. In the words of her two bone-headed best friends, now was definitely not the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tossed her one of the harnesses, making sure she was clipped in properly before dealing with his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Quiet competence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they were both ready to go, she turned to him, standing on tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “You don’t have a fear of heights do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled, wrapping his arms around her harnessed waist. “It’s not the height I’m afraid of, it’s hitting the ground.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, as long as we don’t fall you’ll be fine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” he answered, pulling her close one last time for a kiss. “Last one there buys dinner when this is all over.” And with a running jump, Finn launched himself into the air, zipping a thousand feet above the city.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Had she mentioned that she loved this man?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not fair! You were clicked in first!” she said, throwing herself after him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her stomach dropped and swooped as she sped across the nighttime city, wind whipping through her hair and bringing tears to her eyes. She let out a whoop in spite of herself. This was even better than flying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was over far too quickly. Finn was waiting for her in the smashed out window, and she landed in his open arms, her heart still racing from the controlled fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Way to keep a low profile,” he laughed as he detached her from the line. “Nothing like giving our location away with a shout.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waved him off. “We’re gonna be shouting to the whole galaxy in a few minutes. And anyway there’s no one around.” Rose looked around, taking in her surroundings for the first time. “What is this place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hall was cavernous and echoing and empty, pillars spaced every few feet. It was so dark, she could barely make out the ceiling, glimmering hints of gold suggesting that they were decorated with murals of some kind. Every so often there was a statue, most on their sides, surely all long-dead Jedi Masters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it was the entry hall,” he answered, looking around himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She quirked a brow. “Any particular reason we didn’t just use the front door?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where would the fun be in that?” he shot back, mischief in his dark eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose kissed him again. “When I get you home…” she trailed off, whispering all of the many and creative ways she was going to thank him later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well in that case, let’s get this show on the road.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed as he pulled her deeper into the temple, following the holographic layout on his wrist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it should be just over here,” he said, stopping at a pretty solid looking wall. “Huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stood before a giant mural, an artistic rendering of the three faces of the Force she recognized from Rey’s books. The dark, the light, and the balance in between. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d heard rumors of this, of doors only able to be opened by the power of two. What she wouldn’t give for a Force user right about now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn was still muttering as he looked at the hologram. “It should be right here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose put her hand on the painting, power humming through her. Here. It was here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s a door,” she said, an idea forming in her mind. “Come over here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lined him up in front of the female, her uplifted palm in a circle of golden light. “Here, press your palm and concentrate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed. “I don’t know, do whatever Rey does.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her a concerned look, but did as she asked, his eyes falling close. The humming intensified.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a deep breath, she walked over to the young male, the personification of the dark side itself and brother of the light. It was his fist in that golden circle of light, and she lined hers up just so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose tried not to let her heart sink. She closed her eyes, focusing all her energy on that circle of light and the fist within. “Come on,” she whispered to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took another couple of seconds, but deep inside the chamber something clicked, the wall starting to move with a shuddering groan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the--” Finn said as they both jumped back. “How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose smiled to herself. Her theory had been correct. “We all have a little Force in us, right?” she said with a shrug to Finn, leaving him with his mouth open in wonder in the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was definitely the place. A large, long-forgotten chamber came into focus in front of her, the stone walls full of carvings. In the center stood an apparatus, mechanical but old, so many thousands of years old, perched above a deep pit into the kyber heart of the temple. Where Threepio and Artoo should currently be waiting to broadcast the message.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn was already a step ahead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R2, you have that message ready?” he asked in the comms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Artoo beeped a response along the lines of “not quite yet,” while C-3PO prattled along in the background.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This doesn’t look like the Jedi Temple to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose snorted. They’d sent them through the lower levels, into the sub basement that housed the kyber crystal the entire temple was built around. Of course he wouldn’t recognize it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were still bickering on the line. “What do you mean I stand out?” There was a beep, and then, “Gold is not ostentatious! Leave the vocabulary to me, you glorified mechanic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn gave Rose a look. “Hey guys, how about you comm us when you’re in place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Artoo gave an affirmative before the comm clicked off, right in the middle of a classic Threepio rant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” said Rose, scouting around the chamber. “We still need to find the keys anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we looking for?” he asked, taking the opposite loop from her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose examined one of two depressions in the wall. “About this big,” she said to him, demonstrating with her hands, “probably kyber. Individual crystals.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an ear splitting shriek of old hinges before Finn asked, “Like these?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose crossed the room to where Finn stood over an old trunk, and there, nestled inside, sat two unique crystals the exact size they needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could kiss you right now,” she declared, throwing her arms around him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn’s brow quirked up. “I certainly wouldn’t say no to that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were doing just that when Artoo commed to tell them they were in position. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, right,” said Finn, shaking his head slightly. “Mission first, thank yous later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Rose was already crossing the room to the socket in the wall. “Ok, you got those crystals?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. Catch,” he said, unwrapping one before chucking it across the chamber to her. Rose’s heart dropped into her stomach as she watched it arc toward her, reaching out to catch it as lightly as possible with both hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took three panting breaths before hissing, “Five thousand year old crystal. Very rare. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>hand</span>
  </em>
  <span> it to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he replied, the picture of innocence. “I knew you’d catch it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head, but turned toward her socket, making sure Finn was doing the same. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” he asked, and Rose nodded over her shoulder. “Three, two, one…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both inserted their crystals at the same time, a loud click echoing through the chamber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The machine behind them jumped to life, rumbling and churning as power flowed through it for the first time in years. Possibly millennia.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was ramping up to something big, a glow emanating from the floor and the crystals below, when the contraption gave a shudder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no,” chanted Rose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only to have it short out a second later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose dropped her head to her hands. “Can’t it be easy? Just one time.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Thank You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>On Remnicore, Kylo Ren takes his final steps into darkness. Rey and Poe fight over her place in all this.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kylo Ren stood on one of the barren plains of Remnicore, slowly taking the life from a squealing gronk boar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How pitiful it was in its cries, a once magnificent and fearsome creature reduced to nothing more than a husk by his power alone. The life force glowed white hot in his hand, beautiful in its simplicity. With a deep breath, he took it in, shuddering as that force joined his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The feeling was indescribable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like a sip of fine wine or that first hit of spice, it was heady, intoxicating. He knew that if he looked into a mirror right now, he’d find his eyes brighter, his hair thicker, the scars of his past receding into nothing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning to his new master, he said just that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tor Valum smiled that vicious smile, looking for all the galaxy like a proud parent. But Kylo had learned very quickly that his new master was anything but kind and nurturing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>During their short time together, Tor Valum had been a cruel and exacting master, all failures on Kylo’s part swiftly punished. He had power, so much dark power, that all it took was a look for Kylo to be in pure, unadulterated agony, every nerve in his body ignited in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was almost comforting, a reminder of his earlier days with Snoke. The punishments had been swift then, too. The pain had always grounded him. By the end, he even welcomed it. But now, all these years as his own master had made him soft. He’d forgotten what it was like to be the weaker being in the room. Tor Valum made sure he remembered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As such, he’d learned the new skill quickly. It was almost too easy. All you had to do was be willing to take it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so he repeated his request to his new master. “More.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is no more. You’ve consumed all that remained.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. He didn’t believe it. He could feel that there was more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An icy wind kicked up dust around them, whispers reaching his ears. Kylo looked around, finding a cave in the distance, a slight glow emanating from its opened maw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s down there?” he asked, already knowing the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tor Valum looked pleasantly surprised with him when he answered, “A vergence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can feel it,” replied Kylo, already taking a step forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His master smiled that awful smile. “There is more within for those brave enough. Go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brave enough? He tried not to laugh in the strange alien’s face. Hadn’t he already proven himself worthy of this power? Proven that he would do whatever it took to make the power of Mortis his own? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He donned his helmet before entering the cave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside, the cave was so dark even his helmet couldn’t pick up a visual reading. He ignited his saber, the crackling red blade sending shadows skittering across the walls. Empty. The cave was empty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But not silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A deep, rattling breath echoed through the stone room, heavily modulated. Kylo would know that sound anywhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There had been nights where he’d dreamt of that sound, waking hard and ready and invigorated by the promise of that power. The power within his veins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, a familiar shape materialized out of the darkness, like a shadow given form. Darth Vader.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was hulking, more machine than man, his all black outfit completely unlike Kylo’s own. It was more utilitarian, every piece with its own purpose. Save the cape. That appeared just to be for fun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure took a step forward, pulling his saber from a belt. Kylo held steady, the jagged red of his own blade raised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was ready for Vader’s first hit, deflecting it with ease. Well, maybe ease wasn’t the right word with the way the strength of the blow reverberated up his arms, but he deflected it all the same. The next was worse, fingertips starting to tingle as he blocked again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The twin red blades burned bright in the cave, leaving afterimages in Ren’s eyes. Again and again they clashed, blades crossing and scraping and crossing anew. And with each hit, he lost something, a scrap of strength, a fragment of power, his limbs becoming heavy and slower by the second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But blows came fast and furious, Kylo never able to get more than a single hit in before needing to go on the defensive again. He knew what it looked to lose and this was it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And still he carried on, digging deep and finding extra power, that last bit of strength.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too bad it wasn’t enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vader lashed out with his saber one final time, Kylo’s block too slow and too weak to stop it. Pain, far greater than any he’d experienced bloomed as the blade ripped through his chest, his heart and lungs and veins all set ablaze in a galaxy-shattering moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He fell to the ground, ripping the helmet from his head as each breath came as a shuddering gasp. Bringing his hand to his chest, he found no wound, only the phantom pain that dissipated a little more with each passing second until there was nothing left. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he looked up, he was alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anger shot through him, as white hot as the phantom wound in his chest. That creature had tricked him. Created this mirage to make him feel insignificant. He was stronger than Vader now. There was no way he’d fall to his grandfather.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gathering his helmet, he staggered from the cave into the night darkness of Remnicore. Despite a clear sky, there wasn’t a single star overhead, blotted out by the Force or the darkness or gods knew what.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, smirking as if he knew exactly what had happened in that cave, stood Tor Valum, his monstrous face turned toward him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is Mortis,” shouted Kylo. It wasn’t a question, but a command. He was done with these games.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The well of the Living Force. The source of the galaxy’s birth,” answered the creature before him in that enigmatic way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stalked toward his new master. “I want to be stronger than those who came before,” he shouted, the words scraping out his throat, leaving it raw. “Where is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had the nerve to chuckle. “You are not worthy of its power. Not yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. He was done with the masters who held him back. The creatures and men who held down his power and used it for their own gain. Who used him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he’d been taught, Kylo reached out, putting Tor Valum into a hold in the Force. He hadn’t seen it coming, didn’t so much as put up a fight. Pathetic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cut into his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is Mortis?” barked out Kylo. He watched the smug smile fall off Tor Valum’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The beast before him gritted his teeth, trying and failing to keep Kylo delving into his mind. “Release me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was almost too easy to probe and extract the information he wanted. “I see it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Betrayer!” roared Tor Valum, all six of his eyes wide and bugging. “I gave you knowledge!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Images were coming to Ren rapid fire now. The same as before, but more. “A mountain in winter. No, fall.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there, like the pieces of a puzzle falling into place, he saw it. His mind filled with the exact location.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gave you everything!” shouted Tor Valum, breaking Kylo out of his vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, you’ve given me so much.” Kylo Ren smiled, and for the first time saw real fear on that creature’s face. Holding out his hand, he let the life force pour into his palm, the ancient being burning bright, so bright. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a deep breath, he took it as his own, a shiver going down his spine as the power filled him, the metal falling from his face, healed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a distant thud as the husk of Tor Valum fell to the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rey!” said Poe, as he followed her out of the tent, still pulling his boots on. “What did you see?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind was a snarl of panic and fear, Nomi’s words repeating over and over in his brain. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There she will make the sacrifice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was only one kind of a sacrifice a Jedi made, and it was the kind you didn’t come back from.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was just ahead of him in the crowd, walking blindly as the people parted for her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey,” he said, finally catching up with her. She turned to him, her face a carefully curated mask of detachment. He started, unused to seeing her so devoid of human emotion. It was a bit freaky. “What’s going on? What did you see?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked. “The future.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anger blossomed, hot in his chest. “Come on, you gotta do better than that.” He was done with the half-truths and maddening riddles. They’d had just about enough of those for one day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter,” she snapped, Poe just grateful to see a little emotion on her face, even if it was anger. And directed toward him. “It’s my destiny, and my destiny alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe blanched. Then it was true. She’d seen her own death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. He wouldn’t accept that, couldn’t accept it. The Jedi had been wrong before. Hells, look at the fall of the last Republic. They’d missed quite a bit there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s banthashit and we both know it. You heard her in there, there’s always another path.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey laughed, a bitter sound among the merry crowds of the Night Market. “How typical of you to pick and choose what you want to hear. You bring me to the fortune teller, and now you don’t like what you learn? Not all of us have the option to disobey a direct order. The Force guides us toward balance. It doesn’t show us what we want to see.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shame coursed through him for a brief moment. She was scared and lashing out, he reminded himself. This wasn’t about him. “And who are you taking orders from? Nomi? Luke? The Force itself? Come on, we can figure this out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey turned, gearing up to say something when her face went completely blank, her eyes unseeing for a second before she dropped as if someone had snatched the bones from her body. Poe caught her just before she hit the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey! What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked, her eyes coming back into focus. “He’s growing stronger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no need for her to specify, Poe knew exactly who she was speaking of. He looked around wildly, as if expecting to see Kylo Ren walking through the crowd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey sat up despite his protests, her eyes locking with his. “We don’t have much time.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I'm about to start writing a pretty pivotal scene that involves (in the script) a Jedi Mind Trick. If you've read it, you know what I'm talking about. My initial plan was to change that scene to make it less objectionable (because I know most found it objectionable). But as I continue to write this, I've started waffling. Do I continue to "adapt" this faithfully or change that scene?  It would be the only thing I flat out change (and not simply expand upon) in the script.</p><p>So I open it up to you, my readers. I've been getting some, let's say interesting comments of late, and I don't want to anger folks needlessly. Would you rather I stay with the script or tweak the scene to make it a little less iffy?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Our Voices Will Not Be Silenced</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Thanks to Finn and Rose, Leia's message reaches the galaxy.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm baaaaaack! </p><p>So, after a little break so is this fic. And it's my favorite chapter to date. Even though it's not heavy on the damerey, I am most proud of what I accomplished in writing this silly little chapter. And I hope you enjoy it, too.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sparks flew as Rose worked on the strange Jedi machinery, a halo of light illuminating the grim determination on her face. She certainly looked like an angel, suspended as she was above the floor. Then again, Finn always thought she looked like an angel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a full ten minutes since their earlier false start, Rose trying every trick in the book to get the ancient machinery working.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He approached from below. “Do you think this thing will work with modern droids?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose finished welding something before dropping back to the ground with a thud. “You’re asking me about the mechanics of a Force-powered antenna.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Out of your realm of expertise?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose laughed. “Out of anyone’s realm of expertise. At least, anyone living.” She gave it a whack for good measure. “I fixed anything I could find in there, but who knows if I got what was actually wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, she walked over to the panel, flipping it closed before hitting the rusted lever. “Come on,” she muttered, but was only met with silence from the machine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, is there like an ‘on’ button, or---” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was stopped mid-thought by the sound of the machine humming to life, the light igniting within a second later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose’s eyes went wide, lit up by the ancient machine. “If this goes sideways, I just want to say I lo--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cut off as the beam of light shot deep into the temple with an ominous rumble, Finn catching her as the ground shook beneath their feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Below, C-3PO lurched, his photoreceptors taking in the spectacle as the beam of light connected the spire to the giant kyber crystal on their level. “Well, in all my years I never…” he trailed off, speechless for once in his long existence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Artoo rolled forward, projecting a holographic message from the Princess herself into the datastream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another rumble and the beam shot toward the Coruscant sky, bathing the inhabitants on every level in its warm light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beings of every species peeked out of their various hidey holes to see the display of light, rumblings of an attack quickly fading into excitement as a familiar white-clad figure appeared on every screen on the city planet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From his spot in the lower levels, Dade looked up toward the sky, a smile on his face. It was happening. It was finally happening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He followed it up, up, up, where it disappeared into space, defying all logic as it traveled lightyears in seconds to Agora Six.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Over the jungled canopy it moved, finding a receiver atop the highest hill. The gears in an ancient copper machine ground as they moved for the first time in a thousand years, the sound drawing the attention of an old Bendu monk. He’d been waiting for years for something like this to happen, trained nearly since birth in the ways of the balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rose to his feet. It was time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as lights flashed, the ancient machine translating the datastream back into an image. Without hesitating, he hit the button to send the message wide. To send the message on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Below, peasants in the bread line paused as an old R4 unit beeped wildly before displaying a hologram for all to see. Whispers broke out as the woman materialized, an old but familiar face even in this part of the galaxy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is General Leia Organa of the Resistance…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” shouted a stormtrooper, coming out of the back to see what all the commotion was about. He knocked the dome of the droid. “Knock that off!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the beam was already moving on, finding a connection on Wavett.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the main shipyard, the workers looked up as the beam of bright, golden light shot through the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not again,” muttered one man to another, the second shaking his head in disbelief. Couldn’t they go more than a few years without the First Order blowing something up for fun?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But this time, the beam wasn’t a harbinger of destruction, but a message of hope as every droid in the yard simultaneously broadcast the same image. A beautiful woman dressed all in white. Familiar, but older now, grey poking out of the hood instead of brown. The Rebel Princess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The time has come to forge a path to freedom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Re-directing, the beam headed for Mon Cala, hitting a small, long forgotten spire peeking out of the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Below sea level, in a crowded bar, every serving droid stopped dead, projecting the same message from an old ally for all their patrons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The forces of oppression have ruled our galaxy too long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finding a man-made stone tower on Gria, the transmission traveled on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We must join together and fight. Send your fastest ships…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onward to Bothawai City. Every Bothan looked skyward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All your warriors…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next, finding its way into Trandosha Palace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bossk turned angrily toward the hologram his servant droid was projecting. Not her again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our voices will not be silenced.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clenched his first, turning toward the blood red tower in the distance. The bright beam hit the top before shooting back out into space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the way to Tatooine, where a small boy and his sister sat transfixed at the base of a moisture vaporator as their R6 unit played a message from a kind older woman dressed all in white. A General who wanted to save the galaxy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can no longer live in the shadow of the First Order.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until finally, that beam connected with an old spire among the docking arrays on Bonadan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His arms still around Rey from her earlier collapse, they both looked in wonder as every droid and screen and holoprojector in the market lit up with Leia’s familiar face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dressed in all white, a hood concealing her long, grey hair, she looked every inch the Princess she used to be. She still was. And the look of determination on her lined face marked her as the fierce General she had become.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We must step into the light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe smiled, turning to Rey to find that look of hope mirrored back at him. They’d done it. Finn and Rose had actually done it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the bridge of the Eclipse, Leia’s thoughts mirrored Poe and Rey’s as she watched the light travel through space from the rendezvous point. Next to her, Connix reached out to squeeze her hand as they watched system after system joined by light. Slowly, the rest of the crew gathered around her to watch, each new planet connected to the stream a victory. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is, until the light found Remnicore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo Ren was just walking back to his ship, victorious in all his new power, when the beam lit up the sky. Hope. It felt like pure hope pulsing across the stars. He snarled. That just wouldn’t do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found his way to a rocky outcropping high above the black and dusty plains. Closing his eyes, he reached out a hand, concentrating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rocks around him started to hum and vibrate, the very planet shaking to its core as he used that new ill-gotten power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And above him, the light stopped dead, frozen like a blaster bolt mid-air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But whatever this was contained more power than a mere blaster, pressure building from the source as it had nowhere else to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On Coruscant, Rose watched in horror as the beam grew in intensity, the light turning up to near blinding proportions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something’s wrong,” she said, stating the obvious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn’s face took on that look he got sometimes, when he knew things just before they happened. “Go. GO!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had barely cleared the chamber when the ancient device exploded in a ball of light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia watched helplessly as the lights went out, their hope extinguished in one fell swoop. An ominous feeling overcame her, Connix rushing to her side. Loss. They had already lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the middle of the Night Market, Poe watched in horror as the message blinked and then disappeared as one, every droid going dark simultaneously. That beautiful look of hope on Rey’s face vanished like a distant memory, replaced immediately with alarm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” he asked, concerned. That look on her face was never a good sign.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned, her eyes bright and wide with terror. “We have to get back to the ship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had more questions, but Rey was already moving, pushing her way through the still-frozen crowds. Everywhere they turned, whispers and murmurs met their ears, the talk all turning to what they’d just seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was it really her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could be a trap.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s more of us than there is of them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we go all at once…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hope. It sounded like hope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was all Poe could do to keep up with Rey, dead set as she was to getting back to the Falcon. Just ahead of him, she stumbled again, clutching at her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finn…” she whispered as Poe grabbed onto her arm. He could only imagine the horrors at the look on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is he…” Poe didn’t dare finish the question, unsure if he even wanted to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not dead,” she answered, always knowing what was on his mind. “But something went terribly wrong on Coruscant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, terribly wrong was certainly better than dead. And Poe was all about the silver linings these days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up, his heart freezing in his chest. Silver lining gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey followed his gaze, her body going stiff when she saw what he was seeing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hattaska Ren stalked toward them, flanked on either side by Ott and Lorl, the crowd parting at the dark malevolence coming off them in waves. There was another one, Jaemic or Jaeden or something J related, but he was nowhere to be found.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to him, Rey got to her feet, backing up a step as they drew closer, their head to toe black attire clashing with the fun and color and light of the market around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She squeezed his hand, prompting Poe to action. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup, I’m with you,” he said, tugging her toward the docking arrays. “Definitely time to get back to the ship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finn sat up, ears ringing and throat full of dust. He coughed, trying to blink away the fog. Huh, it wasn’t his eyes after all. The room was dense with a floating hazy grime, each breath thick with it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A nearby cough snapped him back to his senses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rose?” he called out, sifting through the rubble. If something happened to her… “Rose, where are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Over here,” she coughed out, more annoyed than anything. A few pieces of what used to be wall shifted to his left. “Stupid ancient Jedi technology.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn laughed, hauling up chunks of debris in the general vicinity. If she was complaining, she was fine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not sure it was the technology. It looked like someone blocked the transmission somehow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was getting closer, her voice loud and strong as she answered, “Ren. It’s gotta be Ren.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grabbing a chunk of plaster, he finally found Rose, covered head to toe in white dust, but looking no worse for the wear. “You okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, help me up,” she answered, Finn taking her extended hand and hauling her to her feet. She brushed off some of the gunk, great white clouds erupting off her clothes while Finn searched for any side of blood or pain. “Come on, we gotta go. Something tells me they know we’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He led them through the never ending halls of the dark and silent temple, the shuffling of their feet on the stone floor the only sound for miles. This time, there were no trick doors to open, no obstacles to overcome, the two of them making it all the way back to the entry hall and the wire that would take them back to the Phantom Hawk without incident. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn took one final look around the hall of dead Jedi, trying to imagine what it must have been like in its heyday. Jedi and dignitaries and support staff moving to and fro. Sun streaming through intact glass windows. Laughter replacing the silence in the halls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, maybe not laughter. From what he’d seen, the Jedi hadn’t been much of a laughing bunch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And maybe, had this place survived, </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>life would have been different. Maybe he would have grown up here instead of the First Order. With Rey. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t think about it a lot, what Rey insisted was within him, much like her. A power old as the galaxy itself. One that he could learn to wield if he so chose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But looking up at Rose as she climbed up onto the giant window in front of them, he knew what that choice would be. Not that he didn’t love his friends, but watching Poe and Rey try and fail not to fall in love all these years had been a living nightmare. He wouldn’t let himself and Rose fall into that same trap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe it was better that things had happened this way, that the Jedi had fallen and he had become a trooper instead of a padawan. Every step he’d taken had brought him here, closer to Rose and Poe and Rey. Closer to the end of this war and whatever came after.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were perched on the edge of a wide arched window, Finn already clipped on to the line, when the tell-tale whine of TIE fighters filled the empty streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think they know we’re here,” he said, scrambling to check the connection. He turned to Rose. “Come on, there’s no time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She practically jumped into his waiting arms, Finn wasting no time getting them back up toward the ship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was slower this way, the clip struggling to pull them uphill without gravity in their favor. Those precious seconds lost turned out to make all the difference.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three TIEs appeared out of thin air. One second the sky and streets were empty, the next second the temple behind them exploded in laserfire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Heat pressed on them from all sides as they escaped the fireball, Rose pivoting in his arms to pull out her blaster and fire at the pursuing TIEs. A direct hit to one of the pilots sent the ship spinning out, taking out at least two abandoned buildings in its wake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice shot,” he said, sparing a smile for Rose before he turned his attention back to the task at hand. They had mere seconds before the temple collapsed and this wire along with it. He willed the damn thing to go faster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose laughed. “You’re not the only one around here who can shoot.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smile was still on her face when the laserblast grazed her leg. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose screamed, the sound searing him down to his very soul.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He struggled to keep his grip on her as she writhed in a pain, but it was no use, not when the spire chose that moment to fall, taking both the line and them with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were falling, Finn doing everything in his power to keep them from their death. If he could just swing the wire over to the building…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Rose, his always pragmatic Rose, knew the specs. Knew that they were too heavy like this, in near free-fall, for the equipment to handle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, Finn,” she said, not giving him time to react before she let go, disappearing into the levels below.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ROSE!” The word ripped from his throat at the same time the heart ripped from his chest. It was useless now anyway, and so it fell with the woman who held it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Guys, I saw this section of the script and wanted to quit. It would have been amazing on screen, something like six cuts to different planets interspersed with Leia's message as it reached each one. So cinematic. But fairly impossible to write. Or so I thought. </p><p>But I took a step back, thought through all the angles, and figured out a way to translate it to the page. It stretched my abilities to the breaking point. And it taught me so freaking much. This isn't my most popular fic, not by a long shot, but it's probably some of the best writing I've done to date. So thank you for reading and for sticking with me on this one. I appreciate each and every kind word about this because I love the story so much.</p><p>Now that I've gotten all that mushy stuff off my chest, get ready for the big angst next chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Get On the Ship. Please.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When the Knights of Ren show up on Bonadan, Rey must make a heartbreaking decision.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING: Guys, this is the chapter. If you read the script, then you know about the mind trick. If you didn't read the script, then you should know that Rey uses a Jedi mind trick on Poe here. It is NOT shown in a positive light. It's not shown as something romantic. It's angsty, and heartbreaking, and Rey knows she's wrong. And having read this script a lot over the past few months, I believe that's part of what Trevorrow was trying to show. The dark and the light in Rey. Maybe not the best way to do it, and who knows if it would have made it into the final cut, but here we are.</p><p>If you find the mind trick distasteful or triggering in any way, please do not read this chapter. I'm not trying to upset people or get hate for including it, I'm simply sticking to the script. I'm begging you: don't like, don't read.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Just across the way, the Knights of Ren stood, a wall of black and chrome and blank aggression staring her down. Even at the distance, she could feel the malevolence come off them in waves, a corruption so deep it felt like rot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Automatically, Rey reached for her saberstaff, hidden behind the folds of her sari. The outfit was impractical for this, but she’d make do. It dawned on her that this was why Jedi didn’t wear pretty things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was going to end this, right here, right now. There was no way she was going to let herself be stalked across the galaxy by these monsters. She had enough fate and destiny to contend with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you think you’re doing?” said Poe, stilling her hand before she had a chance to ignite the saber. He took a pointed look around the crowded marketplace, children and other civilians all milling around in the line of fire. “Not here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too much collateral damage. Too many deaths. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was right. But that didn’t mean she had to be happy about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anger rose unbidden, a hot flash born of pure frustration. Just once, she wanted to do things on her own terms, consequences be damned. Just once, she wanted to finish things. But this wasn’t the way. It was never the way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to buy them some time, so she did the only thing she could think of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Closing her fist, she lashed out in the Force, a concussive blast that pushed back everything within range, sending people and tents and Knights of Ren sprawling back in a rather impressive radius. That radius included Poe, the man flying ass over teakettle and straight into the water below with a splash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey didn’t wait around to see if the Knights had been stopped, jumping off the small retaining wall and onto one of the razorsails below.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe swam over to her in brisk, easy strokes as she unhooked the ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little warning would have been nice!” he shouted from the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get on!” Rey extended a hand, hauling him onto the deck with a smooth motion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched with no little bit of fascination as Poe shook out his soaking wet curls, smoothing them off his forehead. “Do you even know how to sail?” His clothes dripped steadily onto the deck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By way of answer, she summoned the Force, a phantom wind that filled the sail and sent them flying across the water at speeds that shouldn’t have been possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe laughed, shaking his dripping head. “Why do I ever doubt you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No clue,” she replied with a smile of her own, watching as he crossed the deck to do something with the sails that gave them an extra burst of speed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His tanned forearms flexed as pulled on one of the ropes, his off-white shirt sticking to his chest in the most fascinating way. She knew that chest, how it felt under her head, the steady beat of the heart within. And there, just visible through the near translucent fabric, was the ring he never took off, a braided silver chain through the center keeping it on his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mother’s ring, the ring he’d one day give to the right partner. A partner who wasn’t bound to an ancient order that told her - or him, she supposed - to deny their feelings for some greater good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was no time to ruminate on how empty that made her feel as a blast rocked the boat, water exploding all around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They looked up as one, finding the jagged ship of the Knights of Ren hot on their tail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hovered mere meters above the water, the exhaust leaving a massive wake behind it as it continued to gain on them with each passing second. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get to the bow cannon!” shouted Poe over the whine of the engines. “I’ll take the helm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey did as told, leaving the driving to Poe as she quickly took aim with the weapon. Shot after shot she fired, the Knife 9 deftly avoiding each one. She could feel the hatred, the single-minded focus of the men within. They didn’t want to kill her. They wanted to take her alive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Over her dead body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poe!” she shouted, Poe’s head turning to face her. Those dark curls were lifted off his forehead, blowing in the wind. She took a breath, wanting to remember how he looked in this moment, eyes bright with adrenaline and a half smile lighting his face. Oh, how he loved a good chase. She extended a hand. “Grab on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t hesitate, trusting her fully as he let go of the helm and wrapped an arm around her waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next second, Rey shot the cannon directly into the sail cord, grabbing the loose end before it took off completely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then they were rising, up, up on a wind of her making, Poe’s grip around her waist tightening as they rose through the air. There was a look of pure joy on his face as he let out a whoop, and Rey found herself smiling in spite of herself, in spite of the fact that they were being hunted like animals by homicidal maniacs in masks. Because for a split second all that mattered was her and Poe, stomachs swooping as they sailed through the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was over almost before it began, their feet touching the Falcon’s landing pad a second later. Below, the razorsail hit the shore, the ensuing explosion rocking the docking array.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chests heaving, Poe was slow to let her go, staring into her eyes as the adrenaline ebbed away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chewie stuck his head out of the Falcon, barking a question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe finally dragged his eyes from hers, breaking the connection. “We may have drawn some attention.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chewie roared something in return gesturing toward the docking pad next to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a grinding sound, it whirred to life. They watched it lower as if in slow motion, revealing the Knife 9 inch by agonizing inch, the Knights of Ren lined up in front of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, Poe didn’t stop her from reaching for her saber, a simple motion igniting both sides as one. “Stand back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For once in his life, Poe listened, taking a step back just as she leapt forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the distance, she landed lightly on her feet, crouching just long enough to get her bearings before exploding into action.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She spun, her saberstaff connecting for hit after hit as they came after her. They were relentless, she’d give them that, as soon she’d push one back, another was always there to take his place. Though she’d expected lightsabers, what she found was a mismatched assortment of ancient looking weaponry, a vibrocleaver, an axe, a scythe, their armor and blades seemingly impervious to lightsaber strikes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she’d battled the Praetorian Guard. There was always a weakness to exploit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air erupted with blasterfire, Poe and Chewie trying to lay fire as she battled four against one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They drew Jaedec off, bringing Rey face to face (or was it face to mask?) with Hattaska Ren. Though she couldn’t see his expression, she could feel the vicious smile on his face as he withdrew an ancient hilt from his belt, igniting the jet black blade a second later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey took a step back in surprise. The Darksaber. He had the Darksaber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was no time to appreciate the storied blade, or worry how it had come into his possession, not when the man holding it was charging toward her. They crossed blades, the impact making Rey’s arms quake. Behind her, she could feel Ott and Lorl closing in on her undefended back, Chewie and Poe having their hands full with Jaedec alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lashed out with the Force, the surprise sending Hattaska off the edge of the platform and onto the pad some 50 feet below. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whirling around, she faced Ott and Lorl, the two stalking toward her in perfect synchronicity. Almost as if they shared one mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A scream rang out, Rey looking up in enough time to see Poe fall, grasping his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind went blank. White hot anger coursed through her, steadying her limbs and clearing her thoughts. A new power thrummed in her veins. It took no effort at all to kick Lorl away, buying herself some time to face Ott one-on-one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A quick spin of her saber and he dropped to the floor in two pieces, a twin, satisfying thunk echoing off the pad. She didn’t wait for Lorl to regain his feet, instead reaching through the Force to grab him, a crook of her hand bringing him directly onto her blade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was still in his stomach when Hattaska reappeared, his screech inhuman as he charged at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no time to rid herself of Lorl, Rey flicking a switch to separate her staff into two discrete blades. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blocked his first hit with the free hand, turning off the other blade long enough for Lorl to hit the ground before she brought it back up. Even with two blades to his one, the next hit was powerful enough to make her cede a step. Then another. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was rare that she double-wielded, partial as she was to the saberstaff, and the lack of practice showed. She finally got in a good hit when there was a shout, Rey’s attention dropping for a split second to watch Chewie take care of Jaedec Ren once and for all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that was all Hattaska needed, his next hit grazing her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey screamed in agony, both blades dropping as she attempted to cover the wound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A mistake, and what looked to be her last as Hattaska came in for the kill, Darksaber raised above his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It must have been the light, or maybe the angle, but something about the way Hattaska stood over her in that moment threw her into a vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the same as the first one years ago, or at least a piece of it. Dark figures in the rain. Screams ringing out all around. The old temple at night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But this time, when lightning flashed, it was Hattaska’s mask that illuminated in the dark, his form that stalked toward an unarmed couple in the mud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something more than anger rose inside her. Wrath. Rage. A deep-seeded need for vengeance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blade was coming down to end her in slow motion, and Rey raised her good hand up and reached for something with no name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Purple lightning sprang from her fingertips, so bright it lit up the air like day. Hattaska Ren’s skull illuminated within the mask for a split second before his body fell, smoking, from the pad and into the water below.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chest heaving, Rey looked down at her hands as she realized what she’d done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t find air. There was no air on this damn planet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of Luke’s warnings, all the stories of the Dark Side, and she’d reached for it the first chance she’d got. No wonder there were rules and a code and all these things in place to check that power. To check her power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling eyes on her, she looked up to find Poe and Chewie staring at her open-mouthed from the next pad. Right, she had an audience.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Calmly, Rey got to her feet. Picked up her sabers. Reattached them into a staff. Made the jump over to their pad. Finally, she turned to them. “I-I had no choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” said Poe, his voice a little shaky. Though he tried to hide it, she could hear the fear plain as day. The fear of her. “Jedi do that.” He paused, suddenly a little unsure of himself. “Right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey ignored the question, still struggling to wrap her mind around what just happened, what she’d seen before she’d taken down Hattaska. “I’ve seen that mask before. All of them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, so have I,” said Poe, a little bit of that humor back on his face, always so quick to forgive her shortcomings. “Thankfully, we won’t have to again.” He and Chewie started back toward the Falcon, Rey standing in place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took him a few steps to realize she wasn’t following. He turned. “Rey, let’s go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe cocked his head, like he’d misheard her. He hadn’t. “No?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you can’t go where I’m going.” Even though she tried to state it as a matter of fact, her voice shook ever so slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe crossed the pad to where she stood rooted to the spot, annoyance flashing on his face. “What are you talking about? This was always the plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>The Jedi must go alone,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she quoted faithfully. “The Resistance needs you. Finn and Rose need you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A shadow came over Poe’s face. “We already discussed this. Get on the ship.” As an afterthought, he added, “Please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey took a deep, albeit shaky, breath. “You have to leave this place.” Didn’t he realize that they’d be swimming in the First Order soon? They both needed to get out of here before reinforcements arrived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe wouldn’t budge. “I’m not leaving without you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were wasting time. It was obvious that they needed him on Coruscant, and Rey, well Rey had a destiny to fulfill on Mortis. Ren was most likely already there, waiting for her. She could almost feel the time ticking away, her remaining moments growing shorter by the second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she squared her shoulders and did what she always did in these situations, speaking in that voice that people could never oppose, “You will leave this place and go back to the Resistance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey swallowed down her revulsion. This was wrong, she could feel it in her very bones. And it always had been. Every time she’d ever used this on another being floated through her head, every shortcut she’d taken with a wave of her hand, every will she’d overridden without a second thought. Her stomach roiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe blinked, the slight fogginess in his eyes clearing immediately. Huh. “Wait… what are you doing?” He sounded so hurt and confused that what was left of her heart cracked inside her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was close, so close that she couldn’t resist reaching up to delicately brush her fingertips over the cut on his forehead, that one curl that always fell forward tickling against her skin. She steeled herself and reached for the Force.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will leave this place and go back to the Resistance,” she repeated, her tone taking on that finality that brooked no argument. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, his face went blank, eyes unseeing as he absorbed the command. Then there was one blink, and then another, his face clearing once more. He was panicked now. Angry. “No.. Rey, you can’t…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was… fighting it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, this man. This loyal, stubborn, difficult man. But then again, weren’t those all the reasons she loved him in the first place?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because she did love him. That much was painfully obvious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the galaxy needed him. Leia needed him. Finn and Rose needed him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia’s face floated in her mind, and all the things she’d lost or given up over the years for the cause. Her planet, her people, her husband, her brother, her son. She’d lost everything, and still she fought. All Rey had to do was give up one man for the greater good of the galaxy. And, she supposed, her life. But that seemed secondary as she looked into Poe’s eyes for what was probably the last time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A quiet calm came over her as she realized what she had to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d never forgive her for this. That much was sure. She told herself it was better this way. That now, when she didn’t come back from Mortis, he wouldn’t care. He’d be able to hate her in peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bringing both hands up, she cupped his face, drinking in the sharp jawline and heavy brows and warm brown eyes. She wanted to remember every scar and line and freckle. Then, for the second time that night, she pulled his lips to hers in a kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was soft and sweet and far too short. Rey knew in that moment that she could have kissed this man for the rest of her life and it still wouldn’t have been enough. But as she pulled back, he had a half smile on his face, eyes alight with wonder and joy. It was now or never.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You will leave this place and go back to the Resistance,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she said, giving it everything she had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a step back, Poe’s arms dropping automatically. Robotically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will leave this place and go back to the Resistance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sob escaped her lips as she watched him turn on his heel and walk back to the Falcon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chewie watched her in silent judgment, BB-8 poking his dome out to see what was going on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go!” she nearly shouted to both of them, not wanting to give Poe any more time to snap out of it. BB-8 gave a mournful beep, but did as she said, Chewie raising the ramp as soon as Poe was on board.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But before the ramp could block them from view completely, Poe’s eyes locked on to hers, his hand raised in a simple goodbye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The engines rumbled to life a second later, Chewie wasting no time in getting them out of there. She watched with an empty chest as the Falcon disappeared into the twilight, the wind from the ion exhaust whipping the sari around her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mechanically, she turned, walking the short distance to the Knife 9 and taking it as her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The inside was just as formidable as the outside, dark and sharp and precise in a way that Resistance ships never were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Placing Nomi’s map on the console, she charted her course, the ship needing little guidance from its pilot to get the job done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she unclipped her saber and placed it on top of the map, allowing herself exactly one parsec to mourn the man she loved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d done the unthinkable. And on a man who’d been tortured that way once upon a time. A man who still flinched every time she used the Force that way. He still woke up screaming from what Ren did to him on the Finalizer, and now, well, now she was no better than that monster. No wonder the Jedi banned attachment. All it led to was bad decisions and darkness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That final look of betrayal on Poe’s face would stay with her until her dying breath. Which grew closer by the minute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no more time to waste mourning things she could never have. She had made her choices and now she had to live with them for however long she had left. Rising to her feet, she shed the pretty green sari like an ill-fitting second skin, revealing the dark outfit she’d worn beneath. She reached for her saber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking up, she caught her reflection among the stars in the viewport.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A Jedi stared back at her.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am incredibly nervous to post this, but if you made it this far, I'm hoping you at least enjoyed how I presented this. We're racing toward the final battles now, so I hope you'll stick around for the ride. I've already finished the ending and I promise it's a little bittersweet, but full of hope. So, so full of hope.</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Find Something Worth Fighting For</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finn has an encounter with a brother on the streets of Coruscant, while Hux tries to figure out what to do with the rebels. Later, Leia comes up with a Plan B.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Apologies, but I just could not justify posting yesterday. But I am back today and I have to say that it feels pretty on the nose to be posting about taking down a fascist regime right about now. So please, enjoy a little Star Wars today. Stay safe, all.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Finn snuck out of the skyscraper, bruised, bleeding, disoriented. He had no clue how he got here, the various steps it had taken for him to survive, just that he was here. Living. Breathing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Rose wasn’t. She was gone. Slipped right through his fingers and into the ether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He should have stopped her, held on tighter, done anything it took to keep her in his arms. But he’d watched, helpless, as she fell to her certain death. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And logically, he knew that she’d done it for him, to give him a chance to live. That had she not let go, they’d both be dead now. She’d let go to give him the chance to finish their mission. To finish this war. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he had to move, he had to go on. To make sure Rose’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found himself in an alley, First Order around every corner. They were looking for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>AT-LTs roamed the streets, the single stormtrooper on top scanning the darkness with a floodlight. Waiting until they were occupied with something in the other direction, he darted across to the opposite side, pressing himself against the side of a building to avoid the thin beam of a flashlight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stormtrooper holding that beam appeared, Finn holding his breath until the trooper had almost passed his hiding spot. Like a ghost, he appeared behind the trooper, pressing the electro-prod into the black joint between plastoid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stormtrooper dropped like a rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn made quick work of relieving the man of his weapon. “Look at me,” he barked, the trooper letting out a soft moan from the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn nudged him with a foot, trying to bring him around. “Take off your helmet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trooper followed the order, his motions automatic, his training deeply ingrained. Finn looked into his eyes, reading the fear there, the disillusionment, the vulnerability. He couldn’t save Rose, he couldn’t save the galaxy, but he could save this one man. This one man who was exactly like he had been. Scared, confused, fighting against his conditioning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could save this one man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you remember?” he asked, the trooper blinking up at him from the ground. “How far back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trooper’s face screwed up in confusion. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember when you were taken? Your parents?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I--I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn pressed on. He recognized that look, the fight in this man’s eyes. “Yes, you do. You remember everything. Conditioning camp. Blind fires.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was training,” the other man sputtered, eyes slowly clearing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn stepped into the light, letting the man truly see him for the first time. “That’s what they tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes, a murky kind of blue-grey, went wide. “Y-you’re him. The traitor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right. We’re all brothers. All of us.” He kicked the trooper’s helmet away. Out of reach. “Give me your comm link.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man complied, no hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not what they said it would be, is it?” Finn’s voice softened. “The things we’re ordered to do. It’s not right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He almost had him, Finn could see the words breaking through all that conditioning, embedding into the other man’s brain. All he needed was that final push.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You had a name once. Do you remember it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trooper shook his head, as if trying to dislodge what Finn was saying. “My name’s RK-514.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not a name, it’s a number. A designation. No better than a droid.” He looked down as RK-514 tried to grapple with that, his face torn. “Get a name. That’s the first step.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, Finn backed away, kicking open a sewer grate a few paces down the alley.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>RK’s chest was heaving, his eyes glowing with purpose when he met Finn’s gaze. “Then what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stench wafted up from the open grate, Finn choking back a gag. It was now or never. He took a deep breath, the last bit of fresh air for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, you find something worth fighting for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, he dropped into the sewer, the look on that stormtroopers face staying with him long after he disappeared from sight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hux paced in the Capitol’s command center.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>First, those rebels somehow managed to escape the destruction on Korilev and now they had the audacity to try to get around his communications blockade. In broad daylight. On his planet. The message had reached half the systems in the galaxy before it blinked off. Maybe more. Now there were rumblings, people rising to the call of that ridiculous trumped-up monarch. Oh, she may have called herself a General these days, but Hux knew what it took to lead people and that irrelevant princess from a long-dead planet wasn’t it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux turned on the aide unlucky enough to have to brief him. “What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The source of the signal was tracked to the old Jedi temple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me something the entire planet doesn’t already know!” he snarled, the young woman’s eyes going wide in terror. Instantly, she stood up straighter. Good, then he still had it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. We dispatched TIEs to the scene and the temple has been destroyed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Survivors?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One, sir. She’s been brought to interrogation one for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux allowed himself a small smile. “Excellent news. Good work, errr…” He trailed off, unable to recall her name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prinn, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, good work, Prinn.” He dismissed her with a nod of his head, turning to one of the communications techs. “Get the Supreme Leader on the comms. I’ll take it in my quarters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time he made it down the hall and into his quarters, the communications tech was pinging him. “We have made contact with the Supreme Leader.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hmm, so he hadn’t found his fictional planet yet. Interesting. “Patch it through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Kylo Ren’s bare face popped up on the hologram, Hux tried not to show surprise. “Supreme Leader, the Resistance has attempted to override the communications blockade.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren smiled, his face smooth. “Do you really not know who stopped them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was impossible. They said he was damaged nearly beyond repair, with metal holding his face together, keeping corruption from taking over his veins. But the man before him was completely healed. Even the scar leftover from his fight with the girl five years ago was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he couldn’t school his expression, the shock from both the Supreme Leader’s face and words too much. He recovered quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Such treachery cannot stand. We must respond swiftly and in kind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren smirked at him. “Well, Chancellor, our Empire is strong. Show them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, it would be left up to him to clean up Ren’s messes. Because make no doubt about it, this was Ren’s mess. He’d stood idly by for too long, let this cancer grow within them. And now Hux would be charged with cleaning it up, while Ren played games with his girlfriend in the Unknown Regions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Supreme Leader, with all due respect,” he said in a way that conveyed there was no respect due, “your continued absence emboldens them. If you’ve acquired the power you seek, come back here and show it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was dangerous territory, as Hux well knew. A glance and his throat would constrict, eyes bugging as his hands scrabbled at the nothing around his neck. He would be dead before anyone reached him. Not that they’d be able to do anything to stop it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But apparently, he was too lowly to even warrant Ren’s wrath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Snoke was right about you, Hux,” he said, knowing the exact nerve and where to hit. “Without faith, you only serve yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hologram blinked out of existence, giving Ren the final word once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux seethed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Good thing he had an outlet for all that anger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hit a button, an officer coming to his door immediately. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take me to the prisoner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the bridge of the Eclipse, Leia looked out into the black expanse of space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So much had gone wrong in so little time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The message had dropped. They’d lost contact with Finn and Rose. Not to mention Poe. And Rey. Something terrible had happened to Rey, Leia could feel it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Distantly, she heard Connix’s voice breaking through the fog. “General?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That didn’t even take into account the Kylo Ren of it all. Her son had finally done it, taken that last step into darkness, the one you didn’t come back from. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All these years, all this time. All for nothing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“General?” came Connix’s voice again, Leia finally turning to face her. “We’ve been at the rendezvous for hours. I think this is all that’s coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And once again, her pleas fell on deaf ears. A few freighters and a handful of glorified pirates, that’s all General Leia Organa could command from the galaxy these days. Well, enough was enough. Time to call in some favors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to Connix, her mind made up. “Prepare an Imperial shuttle. I’ll need valid code clearance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we’re lightyears from--” Seeing the look on Leia’s face, Connix cut off abruptly. “Yes, General.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia watched her scurry away, chuckling to herself. Well, at least she could still scare the young ones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But her good humor was short-lived, Leia sighing a second later as she removed the General’s bars from her robes. Maybe Rose would want them. She collected them, after all. That is, if she was still alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia pulled the hood up over her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s in pain,” came a familiar voice, that was neither inside her head nor without.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia responded like it was just a part of an ongoing conversation. Which, she supposed, it was. It just so happened that one of the parties was dead. “I feel it, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, she felt her brother’s presence next to her, as real and vibrant as when he’d been alive. She turned to face his slightly glowing form. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Soon, he’ll be more powerful than our father,” Luke said, voice grave. He was always so grave these days, no pun intended. Sometimes she missed the optimistic farm boy he’d once been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So will she,” countered Leia. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke waved her off. “She feels too much. Love. Anger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t we all?” Anger flared in Leia at his easy dismissal. Just because he’d chosen that path, didn’t mean the rest of them were any less than because of it. He’d always looked down on the fact that she hadn’t completed her training, had chosen a route other than his for her life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her a pointed look, obviously sensing her inner turmoil. Old show off. “This is why the Jedi live in isolation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a rare moment of weakness, she let that anger overflow. “That’s banthashit and we both know it,” she snapped, more than a little satisfied with the look of surprise on his face. It was rare these days that she lost that infamous temper of hers. “I’ve lost everything and everyone. And I’d still choose to love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at her brother, his familiar face. Let herself miss him for the first time in ages. It was dangerous territory. Her grief was deep and thick and tangled, honed over years and losses and all too easy to lose herself in if she let it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But today wouldn’t be that day. There was a war to win and a galaxy to save, and she wouldn’t rest until she’d done every last thing in her power to bring about a victory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke was watching her, a look of sadness on his face that mirrored her own. Twins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust her instincts,” implored Leia. “She may not follow the path of the Jedi, but this time, she’s our only hope.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Time for a More Painful Type of Defiance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>On Coruscant, Rose is questioned by Hux. Leia takes a trip to find an old friend. Later, Rey and Ren arrive on Mortis.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to everyone who is sticking with me and this story. It's quickly becoming my favorite thing I've ever written.</p><p>A warning: It's heavily implied here that Rose is about to get tortured.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rose woke slowly, every inch and muscle and bone of her body aching. She groaned, the light too bright and the world too silent and the air too still. Her head pulsed with each beat of her heart. Was she dead?</p><p>Last thing she remembered was letting go of Finn and falling, falling, falling. To her knowledge, she never hit bottom. She tried to decide if that was a good or a bad sign.</p><p>Well, it wouldn’t do to lay here, wherever here may be. She needed to move, to assess the damage that had been done, figure out her next steps.</p><p>She was halted immediately by the restraints on her arms and legs.</p><p>Well, kriff.</p><p>Her eyes popped open, taking in the cold, blank room in what must be a First Order building. Based on proximity, it was most likely the Capitol itself.</p><p>“Comfortable?” came a voice from the opposite side of the room. Rose turned to find none other than the Chancellor himself guarding her in all his pasty, red-headed glory.</p><p>Great, just great. As if this day couldn’t get any worse. Now she had to deal with this pompous nerf herder. Should have bit him harder the last time.</p><p>Channeling Poe, she slapped what she hoped was an insouciant smile on her face. “Yeah, I have one of these at home.”</p><p>Irritation bloomed across his face.</p><p>The years had not been kind to the former General Hux. His once-smooth face was lined, haggard, with twin blooms of purple under either eye and more than a fair sprinkling of grey in his bright hair. It seemed that leadership didn’t agree with the Chancellor.</p><p>He narrowed those dull, green eyes at her. “You changed the stolen Destroyer’s signature so we couldn’t trace it. Give me the new codes.”</p><p>“You know,” said Rose, playing dumb. This was more fun than Poe had let on. “They told me to pick something easy to remember, like Life day but…”</p><p>“You think this is funny,” he said, extending a hand. “Very well.”</p><p>Her heart rate ticked up for a second before she realized what he was doing.</p><p>Rose screwed up her face, trying not to smile. “Wait a second, are you trying to use the Force on me?” She was not successful.</p><p>“Shut up,” he snapped. Closing his eyes and screwing up his face in concentration. His hand shook slightly as he held it out.</p><p>She waited exactly 30 seconds before bursting out laughing. “You are! You are trying to use the Force on me.” She had to pause for a second to catch her breath. “You do realize you aren’t special. Like, at all.”</p><p>“Shut up!” he shouted this time, visibly shaken. Taking a step back, he took a deep breath, calming himself. So his voice was perfectly even again and laced with malice when he said, “No matter. We have other ways to extract information.”</p><p>There was a curl to his lip that she definitely didn’t like when he opened the door to let in the newest model of IT-000 interrogation droid. Rose swallowed dryly.</p><p>Time for a more painful type of defiance, she supposed.</p><p> </p><p>Leia watched as the pilot she’d been assigned carefully brought them down to the surface of Ollaforn. It was delicate work, what with the steam rising from the surface cracks and sulfur baths, obscuring all but what was directly in front of your face with its reeking fog.</p><p>Gods, Leia hated this planet.</p><p>It smelled even worse on the surface than she remembered, the streets full of drunks and other derelicts, the odd First Order officer thrown in for good measure. Come to think of it, they fit in quite well among the drunks and direlects.</p><p>One such officer stumbled out of one of the less reputable side streets, home to red lights and cut-rate flesh, his dark uniform misbuttoned and soaked in the stench of cheap perfume. “No,” he slurred, draping himself between two friends and hanging on for dear life, “sing it like my mother sang it!”</p><p>The three burst out laughing as Leia slipped by, unnoticed. She definitely shouldn’t have worn white.</p><p>Finally, she found the place she was looking for: an unmarked door lit by a single lamp. Looking left and then right and finding the coast clear, she stepped inside.</p><p>The club was empty of patrons this late at night, servers cleaning up and cashing out while the band broke down the stage. It smelled moderately better in here than it did outside, more smoke and stale drink, less rotten eggs and unwashed bodies. If Leia was being honest, it was classier than she was expecting.</p><p>Her eyes roved the room, landing almost instantly on her quarry. She’d know that cape anywhere.</p><p>“A man in his element,” she said by way of hello. </p><p>Lando looked up as a shadow fell over the pile of credits he was currently counting. That old scoundrel’s grin spread slowly across his face. “Leia.”</p><p>With a flourish, he was out of his seat, her hand in his as he brought it to his lips.</p><p>Leia rolled her eyes. Ever the showman. “Alright, alright. Enough of that, you old charmer.”</p><p>She watched as his eyes slid to the band manager, whose heavy gaze had been steady on her since she walked in the door.</p><p>Lando turned back to her. “You shouldn’t be seen here.” </p><p>“For your sake or mine?” she asked, putting what she hoped was a wry smile on her face. She hated to admit it, but she needed Lando, needed each and every one of his connections if they hoped to salvage this thing. But she couldn’t let him see how desperate she was. At least, not yet.</p><p>Lando’s face turned serious. “Both.” He motioned over to a couple of impeccably dressed bouncers, the two men instantly at his side. “No one comes in. Front door or mine, understood?”</p><p>Twin brisk nods and then Lando was leading her into a back room, his office by looks of it. </p><p>It was just as opulent and over-the-top as the man in front of her, golds and reds and deep blues dominating the space, somehow coordinating exactly with his current outfit. Absently, she wondered if the office changed to match the outfit of the day.</p><p>Leia held her gaze steady.</p><p>“Don’t look at me like that. The clientele are mostly First Order, but what can I do?” He broke off when a pretty young thing came by with a tray laden with tea and tiny pastries. “The grip of this empire is even tighter than the last. Smuggling’s a matter of life and death these days.”</p><p>She waited until she was sure they were alone. “I need your help.”</p><p>“Leia…” he said in that tone that meant he was about to disappoint her. </p><p>“We need ships. Pilots. You know every smuggler in the galaxy--”</p><p>“Look, I promised Han I’d take care of you if anything happened--”</p><p>Leia’s heart dropped at the mention of Han. That grief never seemed to go away. “Oh, you’d take care of me?” Leia let out a bitter laugh. </p><p>“I know, I know, you deserve better,” he said, a wry smile on his face. He always knew how to defuse a situation. Or dial it up to 10 with no warning. There was never an inbetween. “But helping you crash headfirst into the First Order’s machine isn’t what he would have wanted.”</p><p>Leia felt her temper flare. Like she said, no inbetween. “Don’t presume to know what my husband would have wanted,” she snapped, sighing a second later at the look on Lando’s face. She took a deep breath, letting go of the anger. “If there was one thing Han loved to do more than defy the odds, it was defy our expectations.”</p><p>Lando reached over, patting her hand where it rested on the table. “Sounds like Han, all right.”</p><p>Leia let her gaze fall, rearranging her face into something a little more mournful. She was not above using the dead husband card to get what she needed. If it meant she’d get Lando to their side, she’d pull out every trick in the book. </p><p>She waited until she was sure he was buried ankle deep in memories before she met his eyes once more and implored, “Lando, the galaxy needs you.”</p><p>He leaned back in his chair with a sigh, mulling those words over. “Leia…”</p><p>But he never finished his thought, not when the door swung open a second later to reveal one of the bouncers from earlier. </p><p>“What did I say about interruptions?” he asked, never losing his cool.</p><p>“Mr Calrissian, we have a bit of a situation out here.” He fixed Lando with a look, opening the door wider so they could all see out.</p><p>A trio of stormtroopers was deep in conversation with the shifty eyed band leader. As one, they all turned and looked toward the office.</p><p>“Remind me never to make promises,” he said, grabbing Leia’s hand and leading her out a hidden back door.</p><p>Taking her down a dimly lit hallway, they picked up the pace when sounds of blasterfire reached their ears, Lando muttering, “Never make promises,” over and over again.</p><p>“Where are we going?” she asked when he sharply turned a corner, leading them down yet another hallway. Third by her count.</p><p>But now, the shuffle of boots followed, just out of sight. And gaining.</p><p>“You’ve got to get out of here,” he said, stopping in front of a nondescript door. It opened out into a back alley, her ship just visible at one end. “I can’t protect you here.”</p><p>“Lando, we need you,” she said, drawing on every last ounce of the persuasion that had served her so well in the Senate. She’d been so close before those stormtroopers showed up, she could feel it. “Come with me. Fight with us.”</p><p>“We won this war once already. And what good did it do us?”</p><p>Leia swallowed, fixing him with a steely glance. “We proved it could be done.”</p><p>“Leia, you know I’d do anything for you…” His face fell, obviously torn. She knew his answer a second before he gave it. “But I’m sorry.” </p><p>With a kiss to her forehead, he sent her on her way, Leia’s heart pounding as she walked the short distance to her ship. They were up and out of the atmosphere before the First Order found them, Leia dropping her head to her hand.</p><p>She’d failed. She’d actually failed. Unless by some miracle that message had reached every system in the galaxy before being cut off, there was no one else coming. They were once again alone.</p><p>How many times would she find herself in this position? There were no more chips to cash in, no ace in the hole, nothing left hidden up her sleeve. She would return to the rendezvous empty handed.</p><p>Desperate, she whispered into the void, hoping against hope that it would reach the intended ears. “Rey. Help us.”</p><p> </p><p>There was no proximity alert on the Knife 9, so Rey had to eyeball it. How did they normally pilot this thing?</p><p>She watched as the coordinates drew closer and closer on the screen, the navicomputer closing in. 500. 100. 50.</p><p>She held her breath, waiting until the screen read zero to drop out.</p><p>The swirling stars were at once replaced with swirling clouds, a storm of red and blue surrounding the sucking black sphere within.</p><p>The Galactic Void.</p><p>She looked back at the star chart, double checking. Delaying the inevitable. She already knew what she had to do.</p><p>Hitting a few buttons, she recalculated, taking a deep but shaky breath before making the jump to hyperspace. Directly into the void.</p><p>The stars stretched, but never swirled, streaking into infinity right before her eyes. And the rest of her followed suit.</p><p>She was everywhere at once, infinite versions of herself at infinite parts of her life.</p><p>
  <em> Finn taking her hand on Jakku. Han Solo handing her a blaster with a wry smile on Takodana. Kylo reaching into her mind on Starkiller. </em>
</p><p>The images came fast and furious, one right after the other without so much as a breath in between. </p><p>
  <em> Leia’s fond smile when she landed on D’Qar. Luke accepting the lightsaber on Ahch-To. Snoke’s snarling face moments before his top half was liberated from the bottom. Poe’s worried face on Bonadan. Hattaska Ren’s mask glowing in the lightning of her own making. </em>
</p><p>Just as soon as it started, it was over. </p><p>Rey’s heart barreled against her chest. What was this place? She opened her eyes.</p><p>A single planet stood before her, rich greens and reds and oranges covered by swirling clouds. The surrounding space was completely devoid of stars, a deep, penetrating black as far as the eye could see. Well, this didn’t seem so bad.</p><p>She set in a course.</p><p>As soon as she hit the atmosphere, her instruments dropped out, followed by the lights and then the engines. Her stomach dropped as the ship went into freefall, her entire panel dead and unresponsive in the darkness.</p><p>It was pure luck that she managed to guide the ship into a forested area, the trees slowing her enough to allow her to walk away from the crash relatively unscathed. <em> A rough landing </em> she’d tell Poe if he were here. </p><p>She swallowed thickly. But Poe was not here. And she couldn’t afford to think of him at the moment.</p><p><em> No turning back now, </em> she thought as she put the smoking ship behind her, hiking deeper into the trees. </p><p>Green surrounded her at every turn, a forest in bright summer. She went on, and almost before her eyes, the leaves started to change, greens turning to vibrant red and orange right before her eyes. Autumn.</p><p>This was the way. She was on the path to her destiny.</p><p>On the other side of the mountain, Kylo Ren’s Silencer touched down in a barren clearing. Spindly trees rose out of the ground, leaves long gone. Snow crunched underfoot. Winter. </p><p>Squinting ahead, he could see the mountain, orange and red leaved trees surrounding the base. Autumn. He needed to make it to Autumn.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, he set off for the mountain. Whispers reached him on the wind. She was here. He could feel her in his very bones, coming closer with each beat of his blackened heart. </p><p>He found himself at the edge of a deep precipice, a natural stone bridge extending the length. It was flanked on either side by blocks of granite, the shape vaguely resembling some ancient face.</p><p>The Force sang through the canyon. It was a gate of some sort, one final test and choice in the long series that led here. Turn back now and there was still a chance, a scrap of his soul left to save. But continue on, and there was no turning back. No more chances. He would truly be on the path to his dark destiny.</p><p>He didn’t even hesitate.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Revolution Starts Right Here. Right Now.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>On Coruscant, Finn finds more than he bargained for underground.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Guys, Finn is so badass here. It's one of my (many, many) favorite parts of this script. Plus, it's a little scary how relevant this feels, especially with John's recent speech. We're into the real meat of this story now, so I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The streets of Coruscant were quiet. Too quiet, if C-3PO had anything to say about it. Even his optimum auditory sensors struggled to pick anything up in the aftermath of the explosion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An explosion! And at their ages. Why, they’d barely escaped with their lives as that old temple collapsed around them. And now, walking through this desolate wasteland, they were like sitting ducks. Ripe for the picking by whichever band of brigands and rogues came their way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to him, R2-D2 beeped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree, R2. We might not survive this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up as a shadow fell, blocking out what little light filtered down this low. An entire battalion of First Order ships came into view. They were really doomed now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together, they watched as the transports descended through the mist, touching down a block ahead of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, an entire army of troopers flooded the street, their chrome armor and exceptional size marking them as brutetroopers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brutetroopers! On the streets of Coruscant. Honestly, what was this planet coming to?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Through his work with General Organa, Threepio had rumors of an elite force of troopers started by Phasma herself before her death, though the tales were almost too much to believe. Entire planets wiped clean of inhabitants, stolen from their homes in the dead of the night. Villages, towns, cities, all left empty, no sign of so much as a struggle. They were the ones you called when you didn’t want to leave a trace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than disband upon their leader’s death, they doubled down on their brutal mission, their shiny armor worn in her memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed the stories were all true.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were animals, beasts, as evidenced by the way they set to work dragging beings from their homes, scared children separated from parents, any resistance dealt with swiftly. No mercy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t watch,” said Threepio, covering his photoreceptors with one hand as they threatened a tiny Chadra-Fan with a blaster to the belly, her screams overwhelming his sensors. “Tell me when it’s over, Artoo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small group of white-armored stormtroopers hovered on the edge of the scene looking at each other in horrified silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The citizens were herded into prison transports, wails echoing through the street as they reached through the bars, hands scrabbling for anything to hold on to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was no one left to help, the entire settlement having been cleared in mere minutes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As quickly as they had arrived, they were gone again, the screams following their progress through the city.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Threepio looked at the once again empty streets, no evidence remaining of what had happened here. How many neighborhoods had suffered the same fate, the rest of the galaxy none the wiser?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Artoo gave a melancholy beep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right. We’ll never find Master Finn, now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Far below any respectable level, Finn shot out of a drain and into the muck below with a thick, ominous splash. He’d worked sanitation on Starkiller, but nothing he’d ever encountered there had prepared him for the stench of the Coruscant sewers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was ungodly, the miasma of several billion citizens’ worth of waste nearly choking in its intensity, eyes watering in protest of the stink. He gagged. And gagged. And gagged some more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When that was done, he realized his arm was stuck in something thick and tacky, a goop that sucked at his skin every time he tried to remove it. His struggle drew the attention of a nearby pack of womp rats, their normally jet black hair a sickly grey from years spent underground, eating the trash and hunting what little living things they could. Finn held his scream as one broke off from the group to investigate, stiff whiskers brushing his cheek as he tried to break free of the goo. Finding him worthy, the creature’s tongue came out, licking a sandpapery stripe from his jaw to his forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hell no,” said Finn, using his free arm to shoo the beast away. “Get!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rats scattered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn allowed himself a self-satisfied grin. Today was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> the day he’d get eaten by womp rats. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That good feeling lasted all of ten seconds. Because when he looked up, he found the real reason the rats had scattered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a massive, a giant worm or larvae of some sort that took up the entire width of the sewer, white and eyeless with a gaping maw that sucked at the gelatinous mess around him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was growing closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no,” he chanted, redoubling his efforts to pull free of the sewage and somehow only finding himself more stuck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would be a slow and steady death as he struggled against the sludge that held him, the worm devouring him inch by agonizing inch. The stuff of nightmares </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In slow motion he watched it approach, mouth open and knife-like teeth dripping saliva as he took his last breaths…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When out of nowhere a hatch opened above him, light spilling into the dark sewer. A boy, no older than 10 or 12, appeared in the opening, hand outstretched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take my hand!” he shouted over the growl and roar of the creature.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn hesitated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid rolled his eyes. “Unless you want to get eaten by the Gryock!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no time to wonder if he was getting himself out of the frying pan just to dive straight into the fire as the Gryock closed in, so he accepted the hand and let the kid pull him from the jaws of the beast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No child that size should have been able to pull a grown man from the sludge, but this one did it with ease, bringing Finn into another pipe and slamming the hatch before the Gryock could advance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no time to worry about how it was possible or where that strength may have come from as Finn collapsed against the wall, officially traumatized for life. He’d seen a lot in his day, but nearly being eaten alive by a giant worm in a pile of literal shit really took the cake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was. So many disgusting things. All at once,” he managed to gasp out between breaths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid shrugged. “I’ve seen worse.” He stuck a hand out. “Dade.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finally took a moment to get a good look at him. The kid was small for twelve, if that was his real age, short and wiry in that way street kids had. Though he looked well cared for, his dark skin clean and his clothes old but neat, with no signs of the hunger he’d seen on other First Order occupied planets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn cocked his head. “Only one name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with that,” he said, pausing dramatically before lending extra emphasis on his final word, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Finn.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know my name.” Finn tried to keep his voice steady but his heartbeat ratcheted up a few notches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid crossed his arms in front of his chest. “We’ve been tracking you since you landed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who did this kid work for? It was just like he’d feared, out of the frying pan and into the fire. “We?” Finn asked cautiously. It would be just his luck that he’d ended up in the clutches of some First Order youth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But before Dade could answer, an unholy screech echoed through sewers, the hair on Finn’s arms standing on end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked around. “What was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do not want to find out.” Dade motioned for Finn to follow him. “Come on.” When Finn didn’t move, the boy rolled his eyes, lifting up a hand to show him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, on the pointer finger was a familiar looking ring, large and gold. He’d seen one once before, years ago on Canto Bight. So it was no surprise when Dade toggled a little button on the side to reveal a starbird in red and silver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was Resistance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another screech echoed off the walls, closer this time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dade smiled at whatever look crossed Finn’s face. “Trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no other option but for Finn to do just that, so he nodded and followed behind as the boy led him through the dim sewers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind raced as he peppered the kid - Dade, he reminded himself - with questions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re with the Resistance?” he asked, splashing along yet another length of tunnel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dade led him around one corner and then a sharp left. “I mean, we don’t have a charter signed by Leia Organa or anything, but we’re resisting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And your family?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Resistance is my family. They raised me. Gave me a home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn tried to imagine what it would be like growing up in the Resistance. Another alternate life, one still spent fighting, but this time for a worthy cause. It was better than being brainwashed, but by how much? Dade was still a child. He deserved to run and see sunlight and laugh. Not become a child soldier, even for the right cause.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seem to know these sewers well,” he pointed out after Dade took three more rapid turns, the maze of pipes and tunnels not slowing him down in the least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, the First Order purged a 10-mile radius around the Capitol after the galaxy went dark. Took most of the able bodies to conditioning camps. You either learned the sewers or you were next.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did anyone escape?” asked Finn, almost afraid to hear the answer. What was he going to do with one kid against the First Order?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Dade stopped at what appeared to be a dead end, his hand gripping an old rusted handle. A door. “Just us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a screech, the door opened outward. And took Finn’s breath away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was massive, an underground complex comprised of hundreds or maybe thousands of compartments, individual barred units connected to a central tower by a series of catwalks. No sun reached down this far, but the whole cavernous room was glowing, the ceiling so high you couldn’t even see where the light was coming from.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And high and low, people went about their days, aged from infant to ancient. There were thousands. Maybe tens of thousands. A resistance the size of which Finn hadn’t even imagined. Here. In front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was unable to keep the awe out of his voice when he asked, “What is this place?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An old prison,” answered Dade. “Abandoned years ago and long forgotten by the time the First Order took over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many people?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dade shrugged. “Ten thousand. Maybe more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten thousand, maybe more, and the boy shrugged it off like it was nothing. Even five years after the devastation at Crait, the Resistance struggled to pull those kinds of numbers. He doubted they’d had even half that on Korilev. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, he was struck by a wave of grief. Korilev was gone. Rose was gone. He’d been so focused on just surviving for the past couple hours he’d almost let himself forget.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. He would not let their deaths be in vain. An idea started taking root.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you guys have weapons down here?” he asked Dade, following him deeper into the settlement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The whole city’s got weapons,” he answered, gesturing wide. “That’s what they’re afraid of. A million of us rise up, and the First Order’s finished.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn let that earlier idea burrow deep. “You’re right.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dade paused at something in Finn’s voice, turning to face him. Finn gave him his best impression of Leia Organa. “The revolution starts right here. Right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His declaration was met with a roll of Dade’s eyes. “Sure. Only thing we’re missing is an army.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn looked up, his eyes finding level after level rising above them. It reminded him of the giant First Order barracks, his eyes finding more faces than he had since he’d been stationed on Starkiller.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What they needed was a leader.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking up to the control tower, the idea finally blossomed. A slow smile spread across Finn’s face. “We have one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was easy enough to climb his way to the comms tower, taking one catwalk and then another until he was face to face with the locked door. Bracing himself, he kicked it in on the first try, the door revealing a small command center. Finn scanned the room quickly, finding what he needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He started flipping switches, bringing the comms online for the first time in years. If this didn’t work, if the system was too old or too broken, he had no Plan B. Rose had always been in charge of Plan B.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that thought, another pang of grief shot through him, leaving Finn breathless. He didn’t know how Leia did this, the constant loss, the never ending death. It took a physical toll, every inch of him sluggish and aching, but nowhere more than his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was an empty ache, pulsing in time with his broken heart. Supposedly, it would lessen with time. But Finn was fresh out of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” asked Dade from behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Distantly, Finn realized that he had paused mid-task, bent over the controls with tears streaming down his cheeks. With a steady hand, he wiped off his face, trying not to think of all the many places his hands had been that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he answered, his voice stronger than he felt. “I’m fine. Just warming her up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pushed down the grief that threatened to overwhelm him. There would be time to mourn later, after they’d won this war. For now, he had to focus on just that. Winning this war.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One final switch and the system purred to life, Finn taking the microphone in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked out the windows at the people and aliens milling down below. Dirty. Downtrodden. So far from the surface. That ended today. Finn cleared his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name is Finn,” he said, his words echoing back off the durasteel back at him. “And I bring a message from the Resistance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got people’s attention. More than one head poked out of a cell, the people below stopping what they were doing to look up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A woman near one of the cells caught his eye, 70 if she was a day. Her white hair was scraped off her face in a no-nonsense style, pulled back tight and out of the way. Each wrinkle on her face told the story of a day spent in the sun. He wondered how long it had been since she’d actually seen one. And there, on the tattered sleeve of her jacket, a faded starbird. A relic from the first time they’d won this war.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swallowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The First Order rules by fear. They build ships to intimidate us. They wear masks to scare us. But they’re the ones who are afraid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That same woman locked her crystalline blue eyes with his as she brought a wooden spoon to the bars of the closest cell. She hit the durasteel in equal measures, steady like the beat of a heart. Nearby, a few others joined in..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is not the time to hide underground,” he went on, his heart beating in time with the blows. “If we take the Capitol, the galaxy will join us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More and more joined in, the sound growing with each second. Finn raised his voice. “Together, we can strike back. Together, we can resist!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The beat grew to a cacophony, each and every being below contributing to the sound. Spoons and pipes and old bits of plastoid, it didn’t matter what they had, only that they kept the beat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound echoed and swelled, reverberating through Finn’s chest, until finally, it hit him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This. Right here, right now, this was exactly where he was meant to be. Everything in his life so far - being taken as a child, raised as a stormtrooper, saving Poe, finding Rey, losing Rose - it had all led him to this point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as every eye looked to him for guidance, a truth deeper than anything he’d ever known settled into his breast. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was what he’d been born to do.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. You Have to Confront Him</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Visions plague Rey and Kylo as they make their way toward the temple on Mortis, leaving more questions than answers.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok, first some bad news. Beginning this week, I have to start going into the office to prep for reopening. Which means I'll have significantly less time to write. That being said, I'm going to have to drop this story down to updating only once per week to give myself a little time to adjust to the new normal. I sincerely hope you're still along for the ride!</p><p>Now that that's out of the way, welcome to Mortis! I'd say we're officially in the meat of the story now. And it's a doozy. </p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Time had lost all meaning.</p><p>Logically, Rey knew this place wasn’t playing by the rules, that time was most definitely not linear here, but it felt like she had been walking for days. No, it had to be months judging by the way the verdant greens and warm sunshine of summer gave way to autumn’s jeweled tones. A chill rose through the air and settled in her bones. Winter was just ahead.</p><p>But she wasn’t headed for winter. No, her destiny lay on the snow covered mountain rising in front of her.</p><p>Like most things in her life, it would be an uphill battle.</p><p>Each step toward those craggy peaks took her further from her old life. Further from the Resistance and the family she’d found in Finn and Rose and Leia. Further from Luke and his teachings. Further from Poe. </p><p>It was Poe she thought of now. Poe with that look of fear and revulsion on his face as he fought her compulsion every step of the way. Poe smiling at her when she kissed him, a moment of pure joy that she knew wouldn’t last. Poe framed in the door of the Millennium Falcon, hand raised as those soft brown eyes watched her go.</p><p>Rey paused at the base of the mountain to catch her breath.</p><p>By now, he would have broken out of her mind trick. Realized what she’d done. Hated her for it.</p><p>Her chest ached with the loss of him. Had that really been the last time she’d see his face? Would her last memory of Poe be the betrayal on his face as the ramp closed? It was almost too much to bear.</p><p>A chill went down her spine. </p><p>Ren. He was here. She could feel him somewhere on the other side of this mountain, growing closer, their destinies irreversibly entwined. </p><p>Craning her neck, she looked up toward the summit, a structure cut into the side just barely visible through the clouds. She recognized it from the visions. It was there she’d make the sacrifice.</p><p>Rey hesitated. </p><p>She could leave right now. Turn around and never look back. Steal Ren’s ship and rejoin the Resistance before they moved on the Capitol. Live the rest of her life in Poe’s arms, if he’d have her.</p><p>Luke’s voice echoed in her head. <em> If Kylo reaches the temple, everything we’ve ever fought for will be lost. </em></p><p>It wasn’t his real voice, only a memory of the last time they’d trained together. But still, she asked her question out loud, hoping against hope that the answer would be different this time.</p><p>“What do I do?” she shouted to the wind.</p><p>The wind brought Luke’s next words right back to her.</p><p>
  <em> You have to confront him. </em>
</p><p>A sob escaped her lips. She’d always known this was the path. But it didn’t make it any easier to hear.</p><p>Now was not the time to falter. She had a destiny to fulfill.</p><p>Rey looked up, scanning the rocky face for footholds, mapping a path up. It would be a long and difficult climb, but Rey was ready. Hells, it was almost like her years on Jakku had been leading up to this very moment. Like her entire life had been to get her here.</p><p>She shrugged that thought off almost immediately. It was too depressing to think that the entire point of her life was to die on this mountain.</p><p>So she began to climb, using a crumbling path when she could and the mountain itself when she couldn’t. An icy wind buffeted her from the north as she clung to the mountainside, her injured arm throbbing in time with her heart. By the time she made it to a small jut of rock just wide enough to stand on, it had started bleeding again, bright red against the pale cream of her skin. Digging around her bag for something to bind it with, a flash of emerald caught her eye.</p><p>The sash from her sari. She’d wanted a piece of it with her, the Night Market at Bonadon being her last good memory before it all went to hell. It was far too pretty to bleed on, but there was no other option as she wrapped it around her arm. Facing Ren with any kind of deficit was out of the question. She needed every ounce of strength.</p><p>She shivered as the wind picked up again, whispering and moaning across the jagged peaks. With it came sleet, a freezing rain that stole the feeling from her fingers and toes. Looking up, she could see something carved into the rock above her. Just a few more feet and she’d be there.</p><p>It was almost as if the mountain knew she was getting close, the wind picking up and sleet turning into gusts of snow as she drew closer and closer to the ledge.</p><p>Rey gritted her teeth to pull herself up onto the plateau, collapsing in a panting heap on solid ground. Looking up, she found the shapes she’d seen from below standing sentinel in front of the temple beyond. Robed ancients. Not Jedi.</p><p>Rising to her feet, she started down the path, the wind sending a drift of snow directly into her face. Rey closed her eyes and when she opened them, she found herself back under the punishing sun of Jakku.</p><p>It was just as she remembered it, the sand shifting beneath her feet while gusts of gritty wind scraped across her skin. She squinted into the sudden bright sunlight, trying to figure out where she was.</p><p>A scream drew her attention to something behind her, a child’s voice calling out into the wind.</p><p>Heat shimmered and sand blew, nearly obscuring the scene unfolding right in front of her.</p><p>“Come back! Wait!” the little girl screamed, arms outstretched to a couple just out of her reach. Three buns bobbed on the back of her head as Unkar Plutt held her back.</p><p>“No,” whispered Rey, watching her parents walk away from her younger self. She tried to take a step forward, but her feet just dug deeper into the sand. “Wait…”</p><p>As if she’d heard her, the woman broke out of the man’s grasp, her face the picture of misery as her husband reached out to hold her back again. </p><p>Even as she broke down, the woman was beautiful, her skin fair and hair soft and blonde. Rey drank in her face, recognizing the freckles and the nose from her own reflection. </p><p>But the man held firm. “No!” he shouted, the panic clear in his voice. When he turned, it was like Rey’s own eyes were staring back at her. His dark hair was longer, held back by a thin strap of leather like she’d worn in her buns. “We can’t! It’s too dangerous.”</p><p>The woman looked up at him, tears in her crystal blue eyes. She stopped fighting his grasp to turn to the little girl. To turn to Rey.</p><p>“Stay here!” she shouted, Rey’s younger self hanging on every word. “Wait for us! We’ll come back, understand? I promise we’ll come back!”</p><p>At that, they turned and ran toward the ship sitting just a few meters away.</p><p>“NO!” screamed her younger self, and they both watched helplessly as the ship took off and flew out of sight.</p><p>The sandstorm kicked up around them, Rey shielding her eyes once more. Sand turned to snow and she found herself back on Mortis. Alone.</p><p>Her reaction was immediate and visceral. </p><p>Rey doubled over, the breath snatched from her lungs. Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed herself to remember every detail. The sound of her mother’s voice, the exact color of her father’s hair. Already the edges were blurring, the memory slipping away like grains of sand through her fingers. But one fact was burned into her brain.</p><p>Those were not a couple of drunks selling their child for the next round.</p><p>“They were scared. Why were they scared?” she asked aloud.</p><p>Her question was met with nothing but silence and wind.</p><p>“Luke!” she shouted, her anger rising. Why was he never around when she actually needed him? “Tell me! Why were they afraid?”</p><p>Nothing, not so much as a whisper on the wind.</p><p>Rage flashed through her, burning bright as a bolt of lightning. Without thinking, she ignited her saber, a scream leaving her lips as she cleaved one of the statues in two.</p><p>It toppled in slow motion, staying put for a full breath before the top gave a wobble and crashed to the ground.</p><p>Her chest heaved as she looked at the casual destruction caused by her temper. </p><p>He had lied to her. They all had. Luke, Leia, Kylo, they were no different. Her parents had been at the temple the night it fell. They had hidden her away beforehand. There was no way that was a coincidence.</p><p>Anger pulsed through her with each heaving breath, bringing her clarity. She could feel him, feel his dark presence in the Force. He was close. </p><p>Rey looked toward the temple.</p><p>It was time to put her anger to good use. No longer would she submit to this destiny, lay down and accept her own death. She would rage against it, bring balance on her own terms. She would end this, right here, right now. She would end him.</p><p> </p><p>This place was messing with him.</p><p>Though Kylo Ren had been hiking for hours, he was no closer to the mountain or his destiny. It felt like every step he took brought his destination a little further out of reach. </p><p>The wind picked up, taunting him.</p><p>At this rate, he’d freeze to death long before he found his way out of this neverending winter. It was like the planet had him in a moment of suspended animation, holding its breath until he passed some test.</p><p>Kylo covered his eyes as another gust of wind kicked up a snowdrift, obscuring the path ahead. When his sight cleared, he found himself staring at a small cabin that hadn’t been there a minute before, a dark, hooded figure approaching from the west.</p><p>A vision. Perhaps this is what he needed to see to free himself from this holding pattern.</p><p>He held his breath as the visitor reached the door, one familiar-looking hand stretching out toward the iron handle before the door swung open.</p><p>And there, in the entryway, stood Han Solo.</p><p>He was younger than when Ren had last seen him, at least a decade judging by the amount of grey in his brown hair.</p><p>He spoke. “What are you doing, Ben?”</p><p>Kylo Ren took a step back at the sound of that name. A memory, this was a memory. One long buried, but still his.</p><p>“That’s not my name anymore,” spoke a voice much like his own. Though this voice was weaker, younger, less in control.</p><p>Han looked around. “Your mother can’t see you. Not like this.”</p><p>His younger self lowered the dark hood to reveal his face. He was barely seventeen, fresh off the destruction of Luke’s temple. From here, he could still see the spot he’d shorn off his padawan braid, the hair just a little uneven behind one ear.</p><p>“I’m not coming back,” he said to his father. “There’s a greater destiny for me.”</p><p>Han’s face crumpled. “They’re lies, son. Empty promises. You have everything you need right here.”</p><p>“What, you? Her?” Young Ben laughed, the sound bitter in the falling snow. “My Master says I have unequaled power. You couldn’t begin to understand.”</p><p>But Han wasn’t about to let up. “Your mother understands better than anyone.”</p><p>“She sent me away.” His voice trembled.</p><p>He was terrified, in over his head. With a single choice, he’d started a series of events, and like dominoes falling, there was no stopping it once it began. Yet, he had come here, to his father, perhaps in hope that he’d be able to fix what Ben had broken. In that moment, Kylo saw him for what he was: a scared little boy. </p><p>Thankfully, that weakness had died alongside Ben Solo.</p><p>But Han Solo was still trying. “She sent you to your uncle, Ben. To learn. To grow.”</p><p>Kylo Ren watched as something settled over his younger self. A decision being made. A final choice.</p><p>His voice was stronger when he told his father, “I have grown.”</p><p>Noticing the change, Han blinked, stepping forward to reach out to his son. “Your mother loves you.”</p><p>Ben Solo’s eyes were cold when he looked up from the shiny saber in his hands. “My mother is afraid of me.”</p><p>The snow kicked up around them, images melting and reframing into something even more familiar as Ren’s own voice echoed through the swirling mist. </p><p>“It’s too late.”</p><p>When he blinked, he was no longer an onlooker but an active participant as he faced his father, the unmistakable surroundings of Starkiller Base materializing around them. He could feel the lightsaber in his hand. Smell the snow in the air. Hear the steady hum of the oscillator beneath his feet.</p><p>Han Solo’s bright hazel eyes locked onto him. “No, it’s not. Leave here with me,” he implored, hope sparkling in those eyes. “Come home. We miss you.”</p><p>They were words he’d wanted to hear for as long as he could remember, from the second they’d sent off for Luke to deal with. He’d thought that weakness had died with Ben Solo, but here it was, rearing its ugly head once more.</p><p>“I’m being torn apart,” he said, voice crackling with emotion. Always too much emotion. “I want to be free of this pain.”</p><p>His father took a step toward him, hesitating just shy of reaching out.</p><p>Ren went on. “I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?”</p><p>He couldn’t do this. He’d told Snoke he could, but standing here, facing the man who made him, he realized there was no way.</p><p>Han’s face was too earnest by half when he answered, “Yes, anything.”</p><p>Ren looked down at his saber, extending it out to his father. Han’s hand closed around it.</p><p>They were both barely breathing, neither willing to make a sudden movement in such a delicate situation. </p><p>Inside him, the light and darkness battled as moment by moment he lost more of his resolve. This always happened, he’d get so far and stumble before that final step, the light inside him always preventing that final fall to darkness.</p><p>His grip on the saber loosened. Noticing the difference, Han inched it toward him, so incremental Kylo could barely feel it starting to change hands. </p><p>He was about to accept his father’s offer, his hand opening, when the last of the light disappeared into the core of the planet.</p><p>Shadow moved across his face, a reminder of the darkness he’d tried so desperately to curate. And failed. But not this time.</p><p>Taking one final look at the naked hope in his father’s eyes, he ignited the saber.</p><p>The effect was instantaneous. Han Solo’s eyes went wide in surprise and pain as the saber worked its way through his chest and out the other side.</p><p>Kylo Ren loosed a breath it felt like he’d been holding for decades. He was free.</p><p>“Thank you,” he whispered into his father’s ear.</p><p>He removed the blade, watching his father reach up as if in slow motion, his hand cupping Ren’s cheek with one final look of forgiveness. </p><p>“NO!” </p><p>Her scream drew his attention from the dying man in front of him, and it was Rey’s face he saw as he was thrown backwards out of the vision, falling, falling, falling into the darkness below with Han Solo until his ass hit the soft covering of the forest floor.</p><p>His chest heaved as the remnants of the vision ebbed away. It had felt so real, he’d almost thought…</p><p>No. Han Solo was long dead. There were no more second chances, no do-overs. If nothing else, he’d just proved that given the chance, he’d do it all over again.</p><p>But now was not the time to dwell on the past, no matter what the Force decided to show him, not when the vision had dropped him right at the base of the very mountain he needed to climb.</p><p>So once again, Kylo Ren rose, his determination cementing itself with each breath.</p><p>It was time to take what was his.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let's just say the script had a throwaway line that Kylo flashed to his father's death on Starkiller, but I needed a little more. Whoops!</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. We’re Really Doing This</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While Finn inches his rebels ever closer to the Capitol, Rose devises a plan of her own.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, you may have noticed that I missed last week's update. Or you may not have noticed, which is ok too. Either way, we're back on track with (hopefully) regular updates. Because we're definitely getting to the good stuff now. Hope you enjoy!</p><p>A quick warning: Rose is being tortured in this chapter. Nothing graphic, but you definitely know it's going on.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>We’re doing this, we’re really doing this,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Finn thought as he crouched in the abandoned building. There were hundreds of them here, placed all over the street, watching, waiting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d set the trap and now they waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still couldn’t believe that they’d followed him. Him. Everything he and Rose had talked about had been true. This was the revolution, and he was leading it. Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly what they’d talked about. Rose was supposed to be here with him. But there was no time for him to fall apart, not when he noticed movement down below.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A familiar gold droid appeared at one end of the alley, his ever-present blue and silver sidekick by his side. Finn sighed. “Threepio.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know that droid?” asked Chaundra, a woman a few years older than him with hundreds of black braids reaching to the center of her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately.” Then, under his breath, “Come on, Threepio. Not now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the ground, the two droids went on, completely unaware of the trap they were walking into. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Artoo beeped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree,” said Threepio, looking at the charred tank Finn and the rest of the Resistance members had placed at the far end, practically right in front of them. “This certainly isn’t the Coruscant I remember.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just then, a massive walker entered the from one end of the alley, throwing Artoo and Threepio into shadow. A little overkill if you asked Finn. The damn thing took up half the street. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Threepio’s photoreceptors glowed in the gloom. “Oh dear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn closed his eyes. Of course, this would be the exact moment when the First Order found their bait. Somehow, Artoo and Threepio always found their way directly into the thick of it. It was almost pathological.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He forced himself to open his eyes again in time to see the walker pause directly beneath their hideout. And held his breath. It was working. Even with the droids in the mix, they had it exactly where they wanted it. Now he just needed Threepio to stay quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The comm he’d stolen crackled to life. “Any life forms?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was set to the same frequency as the walker pilots.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope. Not sure why you sent us all the way out here for some trash. Isn’t that sanitation’s job?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked around the room. Surrounding him were rebels from all over the galaxy, from every walk of life. Some humanoid and others decidedly not. They had come to the Core in hope of a better life and ended up living in the sewers. But they were all here for the same reason, the same cause. It was now or never. Finn chose the former. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now!” he shouted, his crew firing grappling guns into the building opposite. The lines criss-crossed over top the walker, the two pilots too busy focusing on the droids and the burned out tank to notice what was going on overhead. Maybe Leia had a point. You should never underestimate a droid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On my mark.” Finn checked to make sure everyone was ready. “Three...two...one… go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As one, they jumped, an infinite moment of free fall before the lines went taut and the momentum swung them across the alley like pirates from one of those holo-movies Poe liked so much. His boots hit the durasteel back of the walker with a satisfying thunk a second later. There was no time to waste, not when the pilots had surely heard their arrival from above.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They ran up the spine to the head of the beast, a young humanoid dropping to his feet with a vibrosaw. He made quick work of the hatch, and Finn barely had the time to register twin looks of abject terror before he tossed the stun grenade into the cockpit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn looked away as a blinding flash filled the space. When he looked back, the pilots had slumped over the controls, out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s our cue,” said Finn, dropping into the belly of the beast. He quickly pushed the stunned pilots aside, making room for a six-eyed rebel called Rhoro to take the controls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All six of those eyes were on him as his hands flew over knobs and switches to get them moving. “You sure you know how to drive this thing?” asked Finn, eyes wide with all the flashing lights and complicated controls. It had been years since his limited walker training. And he had definitely never made it beyond the basics.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhoro turned to him. “I thought you did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn blinked. “Right. I said that, didn’t I?” Turning back to the controls, he hit a button that he hoped would open the sides. “I can do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A light came on to indicate that the guns were hot and taking aim at the droids directly in front of them. Wrong button.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no,” he muttered, hitting buttons in rapid succession until the targeting system powered down. He breathed a sigh of relief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could feel all six of those eyes boring into him as he carefully selected another button, holding his breath as the side panels slid open. Finn loosed a shout of victory. “Load up!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group he’d swung over with dropped through the open doors, while the rest of the rebels flooded the street from their hiding places. A cheer went up. They’d done it. His plan had worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But their victory was short-lived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Over the shouting, he heard it, a steady thump, thump, thump that beat in his chest just out of sync with his heart. He knew that sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking up, he saw them, flying low. TIE choppers. With their top-mounted, rotating blades, they were useless in space, specifically built for planetary control. For domination. Much like the vehicle they had just commandeered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside, the cheers turned to screams. In any other situation, they’d be cooked. Luckily, Finn knew just the thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the push of a familiar button, the walker locked on to choppers. A second button opened fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn smiled as the choppers were blown from the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Screaming. Somebody was screaming. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose awakened slowly, unconsciousness clinging to her like a wet blanket. Her body hurt, every nerve ending on fire. If she could only go back into the blackness, that sweet, sweet oblivion that took her over. But those fucking screams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, the screams cut off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose sagged against her restraints. Her throat was raw, each swallow painful as she tried to catch her breath. In some distant corner of her mind, she made the connection. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was her. She was the one screaming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been like this for hours, maybe days, with Rose on the table and the droid working her over at random intervals. They hadn’t even asked her any questions. Yet. Apparently, this was just the warm up</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The droid in question hovered ominously in the corner as if to say ‘don’t forget about me.’ As if she ever could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Voices in the hall drew her attention from the ongoing psychological torture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chancellor, there’s been an insurrection. Word has spread to other districts,” came a voice she didn’t recognize. Granted, all these First Order goons sounded the same. All bark, no real bite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Decimate them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was one she recognized. Even for him, Hux sounded pissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir… the leader is a former FN unit. And he was aided by a regiment of our own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence stretched and Rose leaned over as far as the restraints would allow, struggling to hear. FN unit. He definitely said FN. But that would be...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux seemed to agree with her. “Impossible,” he spat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re dispatching additional units to address the revolt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Revolt. Rose hung on to that one word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. NO! Recall all the FN units from active duty.” She didn’t need to see Hux to know that his face had turned that hideous shade of puce, spittle flying from his mouth with every word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His companion sounded concerned. “Sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If there is a flaw in their programming, we must correct it. Deploy more brutetroopers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose blanched. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently, the other man wasn’t particularly thrilled with that order either. “Brutetroopers? Those mercenaries are undisciplined, animals let loose on the streets. Not to mention expensive. We can’t afford-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux cut him off. “Perhaps money is the only thing that inspires loyalty these days. Do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, sir,” answered the other man, the sound of polished boots on polished floor indicating his exit from the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose’s mind reeled in the ensuing silence. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><span> He specifically said it was a former FN unit that started the revolt. Finn. It had to be Finn.</span></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>He was alive. Not only alive, but out on the streets, wreaking havoc and starting a revolution. Just like they’d talked about all these years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to get out of here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the hundredth time that day, she pulled against the restraints, succeeding only in tweaking her neck. She was too weak. Not that she could have broken free at full strength either, but it had been worth one last try.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had assumed that Hux had left with the other man, but his voice barked once more outside the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two!” A pause, and then, “Take our guest to a cell. Perhaps a night in solitary will loosen her lips.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose had all of 10 seconds to formulate a plan and commit to it, her body instantly going limp against the restraints, eyes closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard rather than saw the doors open, two pairs of boots clicking against the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You heard Hux, we need to get her down to cell block 6. They want her in maximum security,” said Thing 1. Rose remained motionless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thing 2 scoffed. “This little thing? In max? I swear, these rebels get weaker and weaker by the day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the Things hit the release on her restraints, Rose relaxing every muscle so she slid right off the angled table. It was a calculated move, one that paid off when someone grabbed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kriff! Grab her other side.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose cracked an eye while they were busy shuffling her limp body, finding exactly what she was looking for hanging on Thing 2’s belt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not gonna have to drag her all the way down there, are we? I don’t have time for this nonsense. Hux should have gotten a trooper to do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They weren’t paying attention to her at all as they did just that, a hand under each armpit as they dragged her along. Rose let out a groan. For show. Well, mostly for show.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Are you afraid of one tiny rebel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose found her opportunity as they neared the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! I just--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Rose never found out the end of that sentence, not when she chose that moment to hit the lights. In the pitch darkness, her fingers found the electro-prod on Thing 2’s belt, Rose turning it on and stunning both officers in the space of a breath. They never knew what hit them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned on the lights.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, they were both out, but they wouldn’t stay that way for long. She only had a few minutes’ head start before they woke up or someone figured out they were missing. So using their own cuffs, she cuffed them to the table, hoping to buy a few extra minutes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a final look over her shoulder, she closed the door behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So long boys.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cheers filled his ears as Finn pushed the walker forward, the sounds echoing off the narrow street to make them sound like twice their number. A whole army.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something swelled inside his chest. It was an instinct. A feeling. He grabbed the loudspeaker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We will no longer live in silence,” he shouted, his words bouncing off the buildings right back to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A cheer went up on the street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Encouraged, Finn went on. “Gather your weapons! Rise up! Strike back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Heads popped out of doorways and windows, rose out of sewers and peeked around corners. People forced to live in the shadows, inspired by his words. They trickled into the growing crowd as it marched toward the Capitol. As they marched on the Capitol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This is how the revolution started.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they made their way down the street, a glint of gold caught Finn’s eye once more. Threepio. And they were about to walk right into him. Or on top of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn climbed out of his seat and poked his head out of the hatch. “Threepio!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, Master Finn! We thought we’d never see you again. But what are you doing up there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn rolled his eyes. Of course the droid would like to have a conversation in the middle of a revolt. “Never mind that, get out of the wa-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Finn never finished his thought, not when rough hands chose that moment to yank him up and out of the cockpit. Hitting the back of the walker with a thud, Finn barely had enough time to register the glinting chrome armor and hulking size of the specialized trooper in front of him before the man’s fist connected with his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Traitor!” shouted the man, his voice almost metallic in all that armor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brutetroopers. They’d all heard the rumors of the horrors wrought by Phasma’s pet project - rumblings in the mess, whispered stories in the dark before bed - but it seemed that her death hadn’t brought an end to their reign of terror, after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now he was unarmed, fighting one with his bare hands while the walker continued its jerky path down the street. He could hear shouts some fifty feet below as more of the elite squad filled the streets, the rebels fighting them off as best they could. But there was no one to save Finn from another brutal hit, his own arms barely able to cover his face in time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another jarring step from the walker saw the trooper off balance long enough for Finn to regain his feet. Round and round they went, trading blows and struggling to stay on their atop the mechanical beast as it continued its slow progress toward the Capitol. His own fists had no effect on all that armor, so Finn launched himself at the trooper with as much force as he could muster, the two toppling over the edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Free fall. Finn’s stomach dropped as they continued to grapple, all the way until that chrome hit duracrete, breaking Finn’s fall. He felt the impact from his teeth to his toes, but the brutetrooper was back at it instantly, rolling Finn onto this back and getting in another hit for good measure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kriff, what were they feeding these guys?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn looked up as a shadow fell over them. There, hovering thirty feet above their heads, was the foot of the walker. Directly over where they were currently wrestling with each other. His shiny-armored friend either didn’t know or didn’t care about their imminent demise as he wrapped his hands around Finn’s throat. Finn scrabbled at the fingers, his eyes bugging out as he watched the foot of the walker descend as if in slow motion, growing closer and closer with each passing moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With his last burst of strength, Finn rolled them over, watching as the foot touched down in the exact spot they’d been a mere second before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brutetrooper let go of him in surprise, and Finn took a gasping breath, stars blooming across his vision as the oxygen hit his bloodstream. But the relief was short-lived when the trooper found a discarded blaster on the ground and pointed it directly at Finn’s chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any last words, FN-2187?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn closed his eyes. He’d see Rose soon, in the Force. At least, he thought that was how it worked. He probably should have listened closer when Rey explained all that “one with the Force” business.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blaster went off above him. Finn held his breath and waited for the pain. And waited. And waited. But it never came. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes popped open in time to see the brutetrooper drop dead next to him, a smoldering hole where his chest had been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn sat up, looking around wildly for his savior. And there, with their smoking blasters still raised, stood an entire unit of stormtroopers. The leader stepped forward and offered him a hand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, man,” said Finn, getting to his feet. He brushed off his jacket. “I really owe you one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head when the man in question removed his helmet to reveal the trooper from earlier. RK-514.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled, those blue-grey eyes crinkling at the edges. “I could say the same to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” sputtered Finn, trying to wrap his head around it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess you could say I found something worth fighting for.” The former trooper smirked at him. “We all did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, the rest of his unit removed their helmets. A patchwork of faces stared back at Finn, every size, shape, and color known to man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An entire unit of stormtroopers defecting. Just like he and Rose had talked about all those days ago. Gods, had it really only been days? It felt like years since they’d been on Korilev. Had he known, he would have savored that last peaceful moment before it had all gone to hell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ex-trooper’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. “Rafe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn blinked at him. “Rafe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name. It’s Rafe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first step was to get a name. Then you found something worth fighting for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn smiled. “I like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now what?” asked one of the other troopers, a young female with hair nearly as red as Hux.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn realized with a jolt that she was looking to him. And then he realized with an even bigger jolt that they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> looking to him, the former troopers and the current rebels and even C-3PO and R2D2 all the way in the back. Everyone waiting for his next order.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right. This was his show. Might as well get it on the road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, we take the Capitol.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Have you been missing our favorite pilot as much as I have? Well good news, we'll be getting back to a meaty Poe POV in the next chapter!</p><p>Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of this one.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Punch It.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Poe deals with the aftermath of Bonadan while Leia loses her hope.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ah, yes. Only a week late, but right on time. Who else is ready for a little Poe? I know I am.</p><p>Some warnings: Poe deals with some flashbacks and PTSD-like symptoms in the aftermath of Bonadan. Also TW for vomit.</p><p>We're in the endgame now, folks.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It felt like waking up from a long sleep. One plagued with especially vivid dreams. Every fiber of his being rebelled against consciousness. It was pleasant here, easier not to think with that soft voice telling him what to do. That voice. Soft, sweet, he loved that voice. It would never steer him wrong. She would never steer him wrong. If she said he needed to return to the Resistance, then he needed to return to the Resistance. He set in the course. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had no clue how long they’d been in hyperspace. Time had lost all meaning. But eventually, he came to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fog lifted slowly, Poe blinking as his current surroundings came into focus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The instrument panel in front of him was familiar, not X-wing familiar, but still recognizable. Blue light streaked across the viewport as they traveled through the space between stars. Next to him, a very hairy companion barked out a question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was sitting in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, and that was Chewie in the co-pilot’s seat beside him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It all came rushing back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korilev, their daring escape, Bonadan, that green sari, Nomi, the prophecy, the fight with the Knights of Ren. Rey telling him she wasn’t coming. Poe insisting. Rey insisting harder, this time with the Force.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d gone back and forth, Poe putting up the fight of his life. That is, until she kissed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One minute her lips had been on his, a rush of feelings pouring through the kiss - love, regret, anger, sadness - and the next a fog had descended, a small but very insistent voice taking over inside his head. It almost felt like he was watching from above when he turned around and walked back into the Falcon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was going to be sick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe made it to the head in enough time to deposit his lunch into the toilet, hands shaking as they gripped the bowl. Adrenaline coursed through his body, leaving every inch of him on high alert while he waited for the nausea to pass. When he was sure the worst of it was over, he sat back, letting the durasteel wall cool his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d done it. She’d actually done it to him. Sure, he’d never liked watching her use the mind trick on other people, but like the rest of them he always looked the other way. There were lines and Rey knew not to cross them. And she’d never use it on one of them, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the line had been crossed. And there was no way to uncross it now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even thinking about it now, he had trouble wrapping his head around it. It was like Poe had been present, but he was no longer piloting the ship. A second voice, one that sounded suspiciously like Rey, urged him to leave this place and go back to the Resistance, and somehow he’d managed to snap out of it once, twice, his own voice growing louder in his head each time. No, he would not leave her to face Ren alone. No, she would not die on that mountain surrounded only by her enemy. No, this would not be her destiny. Too bad the third time was the charm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three times she’d been in his head. Three times. The memory sent Poe to the toilet bowl once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he was sure he had nothing left to puke up, he walked over to the sink to rinse his mouth. Looking up, he caught his reflection in the mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked a little worse for the wear, cuts and bruises courtesy of Jaedec Ren marring his otherwise smooth skin. Absently, he wondered if one of those bruises was a black eye in the making. Not that it mattered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He should have hated her. Any self respecting person with his history would. She’d gone into his head and done the unthinkable. And just like that, he was back there. A dark room. A monster in a mask. Pain so unimaginable he’d broken a droid with his screams. Anger rose in him so hot and quick that he needed a release, and fast. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he realized what he was doing, his fist connected with the durasteel wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pain, pure and grounding, shot across his knuckles and up his hand. The wall didn’t so much as quiver, almost mocking him in its steadfastness. Not his finest moment, but the pain had helped to clear his head, shake off some of the cobwebs he’d felt since waking up from her compulsion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The problem was he didn’t hate her, not by a long shot. And the thought of her facing Ren alone still terrified him more than what she’d done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was nothing he could do for her right now except follow her final instruction and go back to the Resistance. Though first, he needed to do something about this hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Already, the knuckles were red and swelling, the split over one bleeding slightly as he made his way into the main hold. He needed to find something to wrap them, but all he could find were increasingly filthy rags as he dug through drawers and storage bins. That is, until he opened a drawer to find a stash of Rey’s things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the sand colored outfit she’d favored when he’d first met her after Starkiller, when he didn’t know anything about her but a name and the fact that Finn was utterly devoted to her. It wasn’t until after Crait that he’d had an actual conversation with her. When they’d realized they had a lot more in common than they knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The irony struck Poe like a blaster bolt to the chest. They’d bonded over the fact that they’d both been tortured by Kylo Ren. Torture Buddies, that’s what he’d declared them when he found himself lost in her eyes. Rey had looked at him like he was nuts. It’s possible he had been, due largely to the simple fact that after one conversation, he had fallen in love with her. The last Jedi. And now she’d done the same to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logically, he knew there was a difference between what Ren had done to them and what Rey just did. No matter how mad he was, he could see that in the moment, she thought she was doing what was right. That she was saving both him and the Resistance. It’s just... that hadn’t been her choice to make. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe’s fingers ran over the pile of fabric, calluses catching on the rough material. He cut off a length of it and wrapped it around his bruised and broken knuckles. It even smelled like her. Poe could almost pretend she was still here with him. Almost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the cockpit, he heard the proximity alarm go off. They must be nearing the rendezvous point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right, it was time to face the music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had no clue what they were coming back to. Had Leia rallied the troops? Was there a whole new Resistance waiting for them? Though if there was one thing he did know, it was that he was not looking forward to delivering the news that Rey had not returned with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe dropped back into the pilot’s seat right as Chewie prepared to take them out of hyperspace. If the Wookiee had heard any of his earlier... emissions, he kindly didn’t mention it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any word from Leia?” asked Poe, watching the swirling blue morph into the black of realspace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chewie barked a negative.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe’s stomach dropped to his feet when the rendezvous point came into view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the Eclipse and only the Eclipse, with a few raggedy freighters that obviously belonged to pirates surrounding her. This was all the support the great Leia Organa could muster? There was no way that transmission hadn’t made it more places than just Bonadan. And if they saw it, then there were others who received it as well. But still, no one came. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chewie provided the necessary codes while Poe sat dumbfounded. No one had come to help them. Once again, they were alone against the First Order. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He barely registered as they landed in one of the dreadnought’s hangars, Chewie taking her down like he’d been doing it for a couple hundred years. Which was mostly the case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hangar was silent when Poe and Chewie exited the Falcon, no mechanics running, no pilots prepping for take off. It was like the entire destroyer was holding its breath, waiting for some signal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had to find Leia.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The halls were no less mystifying this time around, though at least they found signs of life as they wandered through the ship trying to find their way to the bridge. It took a few minutes, but finally he recognized the doorway. Had it only been a few days since they’d stolen this right from the heart of the First Order’s operations on Kuat? So much had changed in so little time, he almost felt like a different person standing here now. And apparently, he wasn’t the only one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Leia Organa he found on the bridge was not the same one he’d left however many days ago. Her head was bowed, the slant of her shoulders only able to be described as defeated as she looked out into the empty space surrounding them. What had happened here?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as Connix approached the General, leading her to a nearby terminal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The message is from a First Order transmitter,” she said, indicating something on the screen. “It’s Finn. Finn is alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe released a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Finn was alive. That was good news.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connix went on. “He has an army ready to storm the Capitol. They need reinforcements.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia looked up from the monitor, her face more broken than Poe had ever seen it. “All we have is what’s on this ship. You can’t win a war with a hundred pilots.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe stepped forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plus one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia turned, a tentative smile on her face when she saw him standing there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to him, Chewie growled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, plus two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>BB-8 beeped at him insistently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe rolled his eyes. “Fine, I get it. We’re all here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as Leia took in their crew, her face falling from relief to dread in the space of a heartbeat. “Where’s Rey?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe swallowed. The moment he’d been dreading was already here. “She went on alone. Her choice, not mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His voice cracked slightly on the word “alone.” It hurt to say it out loud. In front of him, Leia’s expression turned grim. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poe…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he didn’t want to hear it, the pity or explanations that Leia surely had. And if he heard the word “destiny” or “fate” one more time, he might just lose it. So he interrupted with a question of his own. “What about the others?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia watched him carefully. “We lost contact with Rose, but Finn is alive. He says he has an army on the ground ready and waiting for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Atta boy, Finn. Poe had known from the moment he met the man that he’d be a big deal in the Resistance. And look at him now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok, then we put our pilots in the sky and back him up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia simply gave him a measured look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he asked, wanting to do something, anything to distract himself. If that meant jumping into an X-wing and blowing stuff up, then so be it. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. If we take the Capitol, we can destroy that jammer and call the galaxy to war.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ll kill millions. I’ve seen it,” she said, a note of desperation in her voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time since he met her, Leia looked unsure of herself. What the hells had happened between here and Korilev? Or was it Korilev itself that put that look on her face? One more loss added to an already steep ledger. The one that put her over the edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s too reckless,” she added in a voice that declared the matter over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. They were so close. He’d already lost Rey. He wasn’t about to lose this war, too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Resistance </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> reckless!” His raised voice drew the attention of the surrounding rebels. “Passion is the greatest weapon we have!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Realizing that people had stopped to watch the exchange, he took it down a notch, appealing to Leia, their shared history. Godsdamnit, if he had to bring his mother’s memory into this, he would. “The Rebels fought the Empire and won. You showed us it could be done. But that was your war. This one’s ours. Let us fight it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was an appeal for them all, the beings of every species that made up the Resistance. For the oppressed on far flung planets. For everyone living under the harsh rule of the First Order on Coruscant. For the millions of children taken from their parents to become troopers, and the millions more left orphaned by their campaigns. For Finn and Rose. For Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could have sworn everyone on that bridge stood taller, meeting Leia’s gaze with open looks of defiance. It was rare indeed that anyone defied their beloved general, but it was almost as rare that Leia was this wrong. Somewhere along the way, she’d lost hope. Luckily, the rest of them had enough to spare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched her face change, almost as if she was bolstered by some unseen force - maybe even the Force itself - Leia soaking in the hope and resolve of the people around her. Her expression hardened into something he recognized. Resolve. Grit. Hope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just like that, she was back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Set a course for Coruscant,” she barked, the young officers leaping at her command. “Ready all weapons and attack ships. This is a full assault.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, the bridge became a flurry of activity, people running and shouting orders, mechanics taking off for the hangars while a kid at the controls brought them around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to Poe. “That was a pretty rousing speech, Commander.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe gave her his best cocky grin. “I do what I can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A young officer broke into their conversation. “General, we have calculated the jump to Coruscant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, let’s hope you’re right,” she said to Poe before turning to the man at the helm, the smirk on her face so reminiscent of Han Solo he had to do a double take. “Punch it.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! Next up: a trip to Mortis before we follow Leia, Finn, Poe, and Rose on Coruscant.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. I Know.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rey and Kylo Ren reach the temple on Mortis.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok, so this was a part of the script that I struggled with because it didn't quite add up. The story of Rey's parents was pretty vague and the timelines shaky at best, so my assumption is that some of this would have gotten smoothed out in later drafts. Which we never got. So I did my best here to connect the dots and add a little backstory to Rey's backstory. Let's just all pretend it makes sense, shall we? (I kid).</p><p>The next few chapters are action packed, so I hope you stick around for the ride. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>With each step toward that ancient temple, the feeling grew. The Force was strong in this place. It was in the very air. Electric. Kylo Ren breathed it in, letting the power hum along his veins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d passed all the tests and climbed the mountain, both literally and metaphorically, to get to this point. He’d faced his father and his fears. Now the power of this ancient place would be his for the taking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The temple was flagged by statues of ancients, much like he’d seen elsewhere on the planet. This was a place made before the galaxy as they knew it, before Jedi, before Sith, created by the Force itself. As he ascended the temple steps, he found more evidence of some civilization lost to the annals of time, glyphs, carvings, statues all pointing to some long-extinct race of higher beings. Though the Jedi had no gods, these beings obviously had. Three, by the look of it - an old man, a young man, and a young woman. Father, son, and daughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them were carved in stunning detail on the door in front of him. Gold and alabaster marked the daughter, while ebony dark as night made up the son. Their father fell somewhere between the two, neither stormy darkness or shining light. A balance. Their eyes were a little too lifelike, watching him from on high. Staring into his very soul. They didn’t judge him kindly, but Kylo paid that no mind, instead using his newfound power to bend the door to his will.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It opened with a deafening creak, a millenia’s worth of dust shifting to admit him. Here, the power was almost overwhelming, intoxicating. But Kylo did not pass the threshold. As he’d been ruminating on the dark and the light, another presence had made itself known on the mountaintop, not even bothering to hide their brightly shining anger from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew you’d come,” he said, slowly turning to face Rey.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her heart beat wildly in her chest as Ren turned to face her. Rey took in a sharp breath when she laid eyes on that new, cruel mask. He’d been showing her a different face in their connections. The old mask, not this monstrosity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had no clue how he’d beat her to the mountaintop, but here they were. It was quite obvious that time had no meaning here, tripping around as it saw fit. One second, this space had been clear, and in the time it had taken her to blink Ren was there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey watched as he examined the door to the temple, a dark power opening the door when it refused to admit him. She’d thought she’d been observing him unnoticed, but that obviously wasn’t the case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Force is strong in this place,” came his modulated voice. Sharper, even more inhuman than the original. “Can you feel it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could and had been feeling that power rise the closer she drew to the temple. It was intoxicating and impossible to ignore. It whispered to her, offered her things. Power. Life. Control. But she wasn’t about to admit that to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, she dug into that part of her she usually denied, the one that had slaughtered the Knights of Ren and used her power against Poe. A low hum filled her ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe she hadn’t thought this out. Maybe she was letting her anger and fear guide her, much like Luke had always warned. Maybe she didn’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though she couldn’t see it, Rey could feel the smile on Ren’s face suddenly drop behind that mask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pictures flooded her mind: a young boy speaking to his father at a cabin door, tears in his eyes; the grown man watching the light drain from that same father’s eyes as he tipped him over the edge into oblivion; a flash from the night the temple burned accompanied by the familiar scream of a woman she’d barely just started to remember. But through every one, a familiar emotion lingered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re in pain,” she spat, a grim smile stretching her lips. It felt good to let herself go. “Beneath that mask.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out of my head,” growled Ren in return. “You won’t like what you find.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Abruptly. the images dropped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Ren threw his hands up a second later in a Force push, she was ready, her feet barely sliding two inches before stopping dead, steadfast against his power. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Surprise bloomed across whatever bond lingered between them, a tattered thing compared to what she felt on Ahch-To, Korilev, even Bonadan. Like he was actively trying to sever it and failing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But when he spoke, it was with his usual zealotry, that unwavering belief in his own pitiful power that still astounded Rey. “I’m stronger than Anakin Skywalker. Stronger than his son.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted so badly for it to be true, she could feel the desperation coating every word. A weakness she was all too glad to exploit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you’re still afraid.” Rey smiled with the direct goal of further infuriating him. It worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo scoffed at her, the sound weirdly metallic with that mask. “Of what? You?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was protesting far too much for that not to be the case. But Rey didn’t mind. His anger had always blinded him to what was right in front of him. And damned if she wasn’t about to use it against him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of what you’ve become.” She kept her voice infuriatingly calm in the face of all that anger. “The dark side has left you empty. Alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have to be alone. With the power of this place, we could rule the galaxy as the ancients did. The Dark Side and the Light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This again. Would he never learn?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You still think I’d join you. After what you did to my family?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He faltered at that revelation, not even bothering to hide it from her that time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey felt her face morph into a cruel smile, unleashing her own darkness once more. “Were you going to tell me here?” she asked, a hint of mockery in her voice. She took a step forward, stalking him. “Weaken me with the truth?” But the truth had been growing within her every step she made toward this temple. Flashes and knowledge that she had finally put together. “Deep down, I’ve always known.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was circling him like a Nexu with its prey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My parents didn’t sell me for drinking money.” She paused, feeling the truth of her words. “They were hiding me from you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was silent for a moment as her words sunk in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But rather than denying it, he said, “So you remember.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At his words, she sank into another vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sands of Jakku stretched as far as the eye could see, a dull ocher that shimmered in the midday sun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Wait! Come back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Desert winds lifted her hair from her neck as she watched the woman break free from her husband and run back toward a little girl held in place by a Crolute’s grip on her arm. Tears painted the woman’s face when she reached for Rey, but she stumbled, the sand slipping beneath her feet, and her husband caught her just before she made contact with the little girl’s outstretched hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! We can’t! It’s too dangerous.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The urgency in his voice must have swayed her, so she nodded at him before turning to Rey and saying the words that had held her on that hell of a planet for 14 years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay here!” she pleaded with Rey. “Wait for us! We’ll come back, understand? I promise we’ll come back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then they were gone, their ship taking off and leaving the atmosphere. Her five-year-old self screamed, the scene immediately morphing into another familiar tableau.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the visions she’d had when she first touched the Skywalker saber unfurled before her eyes. Rain poured as a crackling red blade cut through the night, screams echoing in the thunderous dark. Luke’s temple, the night it fell. Only this time, rather than finding Luke prostrate before his burning school, she watched as the Knights of Ren lined up before a young couple. The same young couple who had left her behind on Jakku. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her parents looked scared but determined, twin expressions of defiance on their soaked faces. There was no longer the hesitation she’d seen on Jakku, but a grim resolve for what they realized must be coming next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The leader of the Knights stepped forward. “Where is she?” he asked, his modulated voice dripping malevolence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If her father recognized the voice or the man behind it, he made no mention of it, his face stony as he stared down his executioners.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s dead, thanks to you.” Her father nodded toward the burning temple, Kylo Ren taking the hint.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you have no use to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blade of his saber swung up and Rey found herself back on Mortis, chest heaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She half expected to find her clothes soaked, the vision that real. But the water on her face had nothing to do with the weather. She swiped under her eyes with one hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now it was Ren’s turn to talk. “Snoke made his orders clear. Find anyone who could destroy him. It didn’t take us long to find you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words sunk in like daggers. They had been after her, not her parents. “You killed them. You killed my parents.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small voice in the back of her head warned her. Anger was the path to the Dark Side. It would make her just as weak as the man in front of her. Reckless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Always one for the theatrics, Ren continued his monologue, ignoring her accusation. “You blame me for your life on Jakku. You should thank me for it. You were safe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had been nobodies, a couple who worked at the temple, nothing more. And when the darkness had risen and the Knights started to hunt her, they’d hidden her on Jakku. Then gone back to the temple to throw them off her scent. And died for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course Ren had dismissed them, underestimated them to the point that they were able to smuggle her out, save her. He had always written off anyone without the Force. But those two nobodies had created her and outsmarted him. And now, twenty years later, she would avenge them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say it!” she shouted, letting her rising anger get the better of her. A weakness, one of which she was fully aware, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Did you kill them?” She needed to hear the words from his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sensing her rapidly slipping control, he simply answered, “I did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A blast of energy exploded out of her, sending Ren back a step. The ground beneath their feet quaked and the loose rocks from around the temple went flying off the side of the mountain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You murdered Han Solo…” She advanced a step, Kylo conceding one in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was nervous and trying not to show it, his voice carefully even. “I’m not here for you, Rey.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Millions of people... “ Another step forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All I want is behind that door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, she stood between him and the steps to the temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey ignited her dual saber. “Then you’ll have to kill me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t even hesitate, igniting his own saber in response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next second, all hell broke loose.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Goodbye, Scavenger.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As Leia and the Resistance arrive on Coruscant, Rey and Kylo battle on Mortis.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome to the final battles! </p><p>A quick warning: Rey receives a grim injury in this chapter. It's not too graphic but it is described here and again in a later chapter (the later chapter is more graphic).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The blue starlight swirled in the main viewport of the Eclipse. This view never got old. Leia had to admit, Han was always right about that. Somewhere on the bridge, an alarm rang out. Leia took a deep breath. Time to drop out of hyperspace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyperspace shifted into realspace before her eyes, blue replaced with the deep black between stars. But not for long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The teeming city planet unfurled beneath them, sentinel ships hovering above to protect it. Those would be a problem if they wanted to help Finn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia sat down in the command chair, joining the ranks of so many before her. She thought of Akbar and his steady presence on the bridge. That would be who she channeled this day. “Send the fleet to planetfall,” she said, spinning the chair around to face her crew. “Surprise is the only advantage we have.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe took that as his cue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tore through the halls of the destroyer, Chewie and BB-8 hot on his heels. Klaxons went off, pilots and officers and various other personnel running to get to their stations. Now this is what he’d been expecting upon boarding the Eclipse. The hustle and bustle of those final minutes before a battle, where carefully controlled chaos reigned. It was exactly the kind of distraction he needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even so, Rey’s absence made its presence known with every breath, like a physical weight pressing against his chest. He swore he could still feel her somewhere in the back of his mind, a lingering side-effect of her compulsion perhaps. She was alive. Though for how much longer, he had no clue. But now wasn’t the time he could worry about that. It was never the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They made it to the hangar in no time - he was finally getting the hang of this place - and Poe made a beeline for the Falcon. When Chewbacca tried to follow him up the ramp, he paused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, we don’t have enough pilots. Get out there and do some damage.” It killed him to do this without Chewie by his side, but he’d be wasted in the co-pilot’s seat. They needed anyone who could fly in a cockpit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chewie brayed at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, pick one!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe watched him scan the available craft before cocking his head at an X-wing painted orange and white. Nice. He had to admit, the Wookiee had taste.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See you out there, buddy.” He clasped the Wookiee’s forearm in farewell, only to be pulled into a bone crunching hug. And here, he wasn’t even sure Chewie liked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a final farewell, he was off, leaving Poe to jog the rest of the way to the Falcon’s cockpit and start her up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“BB-8, make sure those guns are primed and ready to go!” When he didn’t hear anything, he repeated, “BB-8?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, he had bigger things to worry about than his wayward droid, like their impending doom at the hands of the First Order. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe hit the thrusters, rocketing out of the hangar bay and straight into a raging battle. The sentinels had unleashed holy hell on the meager Resistance fleet, a group of TIE hunters giving chase. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dove into the action, taking out a hunter and dodging laserfire from another. This was the good stuff, the adrenaline rushing through his veins as he did what he does best. He knocked out another hunter - these guys were almost too easy - when a barrage of laserfire rocked the Falcon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three of the hunters had singled him out, concentrating all fire on his rapidly weakening back shields. “Shit,” he muttered, starting evasive maneuvers. But it was no use, he couldn’t lose his tail. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alarms rang out. The shields dipped dangerously low. He was about to be cooked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When out of nowhere, the three TIEs exploded in rapid succession.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An X-wing materialized in the viewport, bright orange and hell bent on taking down those TIEs. Three more shots and three more kills took place in the span of a breath, the pilot executing a perfect barrel roll as he did it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“BRAAAAGGGGHH!!!!!” came Chewbacca’s voice over his headset, accompanied by a round of beeps from BB-8. So that’s where the little traitor went.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe smiled, impressed in spite of himself. “That’s one hell of a pilot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He followed Chewie into the fray, providing backup as he absolutely demolished the enemy. This was fun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just then, that low buzz in the back of his mind hit a fever pitch. Fear, anger, pain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey.” He spoke the word like a prayer. Something was happening to her on Mortis. But there was nothing he could do for her halfway across the galaxy. He just had to trust that she’d survive, that she’d find whatever strength she needed to carry on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He threw himself into finishing off the rest of the hunters while Leia and the Eclipse took aim at the sentinels. One superlaser blast and they were nothing more but space dust, clearing the way for Poe et al to make planetfall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Where miles below Finn marched their growing rebellion onward. Down Imperial Boulevard they went, the sound of the AT-MT’s footstomps echoing off the buildings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were thousands upon thousands now, and growing every minute. Finn marched proudly out front with Rafe and his unit of Rebel Troopers, listening as Dade called out on the loudspeakers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rise up! Join the fight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And rise they did, trickling in from alleys and buildings and sewers alike. A new feeling soared in his chest. Hope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was almost too easy to ignore that little buzz in the back of his head that told him Rey was doing something either stupid or dangerous. Possibly both. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was nothing else he could do for her in that moment, not when a familiar sound had started to echo down the streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of a thousand boots. In lockstep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the fog ahead they marched, an entire battalion of brutetroopers, their armor blinding even in the weak sun. And surrounding them was the might of the First Order, tanks and walkers and assault vehicles in designs he’d never seen before. Sharp, shiny, and deadly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn put up a hand to hold the line. This is where they’d take their stand. “Stand your ground!” he shouted to his army.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The First Order didn’t make them wait long, opening fire all around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few rows back, C-3PO found himself in the middle of the action once more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not again!” he shouted to Artoo as they dodged laserfire and blaster bolts. “Will this agony never end?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Directly in front of them, a First Order astromech rolled over to a flipped walker and plugged in. Next to him, R2-D2 beeped urgently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see it! He’s sending a distress signal. Stop him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignoring him, Artoo beeped furiously, pushing him towards the enemy astromech.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me? I’m not programmed for violence, R2!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Artoo was insistent. And Threepio wasn’t about to cross him. So he walked as fast as his joints would take him, steeling himself for what he was about to do. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ripping open the back panel of R8-08, he said, “I do apologize for this,” before reaching into the droid and pulling a handful of circuits out. To Threepio’s unending horror, R8 unleashed an unholy scream. Threepio screamed right along with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh maker! Please go quietly!” With a final twist and yank, R8 shorted out, tipping precariously for a second before he fell over with a clank. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, Artoo rolled over to the vacated scomp terminal and plugged in, the belly guns switching direction to fire on the brutetroopers. He had always been much more suited to violence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn, noticing the change in tide, ran over, barreling past Threepio fretting over the shell of a downed First Order droid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve done horrible things,” stated the golden protocol droid. Finn spared a laugh. “I may never be the same, Artoo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found himself just ahead of the droids, fighting yet another brutetrooper with his bare hands. Though he’d been divested of his blaster, Finn got in a few good hits with a truncheon he’d picked up before it hit him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That low buzz in the back of his head exploded into a scream, clear as if Rey was standing next to him. She was in agony, fear and anger coating his tongue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something terrible had happened. She was weakening, barely clinging to life. “Fight, Rey. Fight,” he whispered into the ether, somehow knowing that the words reached her wherever she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was enough of a distraction that the Brutetrooper was able to get in a ringing blow, practically dislodging the feeling from Finn’s brain. He blinked, bringing the trooper into focus. The hulking man was about to end him when a blaster bolt from behind took him out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the trooper clattered to the ground, Finn found Rafe standing behind him, blaster raised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the save, man,” he said, clasping hands with his brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rafe only smiled. “Anytime. Now let’s finish these goons.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn had just enough time to realize that shadows had fallen over them when the boulevard exploded in geysers of duracrete. TIE bombers, straight ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, no, no, it can’t end like this. They were so close, the Capitol in view just ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bombers were closing in, directly above them and ready to drop their next payload, when a motley crew of A- and X- and B-wings shot them out of the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn and his comrades let out a cheer as the Resistance ships flew low through the streets, clearing the path ahead. Transports landed, dropping their stolen First Order walkers and speeders and assault vehicles on the street, now all heavily modified with starbirds and eyes and teeth, the colors of the Resistance splashed across each and every one. When the ramps opened, a whole new force poured out, flooding their already steady numbers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the worrisome feelings from Rey, a tentative hope fluttered in his chest. There was nothing he could do for her here but win this war. Give her something to come back to. So that’s what he’d do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You feel that?” he shouted to nobody in particular. But he was shocked when all the men and women (and yes, children) around turned to him. Their leader. That hope swelled once more. “We are the Resistance! All of us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They began to march.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey ignited her dual saber. “Then you’ll have to kill me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t even hesitate, igniting his own saber in response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had barely the space of a breath before he attacked, the impact of his blow reverberating up her arms. He wasn’t pulling any punches this time, but neither was she, her counter just as powerful. If not more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve grown stronger since we last met,” he said, meaning it as a compliment though still coming off as an insult. As if she hadn’t been strong before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wish I could say the same,” she gritted out between her teeth while absorbing another blow. It was a lie, and they both knew it. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon, there was no breath to spare for insults or small talk, every fiber of her being necessary to keep her in the game. It was just like her vision. She was tiring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rain started to fall, freezing this far up the mountain. It stole the feeling from her fingers. Every hit stung.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a struggle to keep her feet under her on the slippery stones as she absorbed another blow. Sensing her distraction, Ren brought down one of the ancient statues around them, Rey stopping the crumbling stone mid-air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a shout that took far too much from her, she sent it sailing away from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo Ren pressed forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could have been your teacher,” he growled over the clash of their sabers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey stumbled back, conceding a step. No. It was happening, just like in her visions. Just like what Nomi said. And she was helpless to stop it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo seemed to sense it. “I could have ended your pain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, that wasn’t right. He was the source of her pain. Her mind reeled, unable to focus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a burst of strength, she sliced her saber up, shearing the bottom half of the mask right off his face. He removed it, shaking out his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those cold, dark eyes bore into her, searing in their intensity. It was just them now. No masks or lies between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re weakening.” A statement of fact that Rey had neither the energy nor the need to refute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let out a scream, giving everything she had to one final barrage. Her swings were wild, undisciplined, everything she’d learned since that first fight on Starkiller going out the window in her all consuming need to end him. Suddenly, she was the scrappy nobody from Jakku once more, getting in her hits any way she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren smiled, the expression vicious, like a gash. “The last glimmer of a dying light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only this time, those hits had no effect on her opponent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swatted her blows like she was nothing more than a troublesome fly. Annoying, but harmless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then with a wicked blow she never saw coming, he slashed the blade from her left cheek to her forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a burst of light before the entire world erupted in pain, Rey’s scream echoing off the mountain. Her lightsaber hit the stone with a clatter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fell to her knees, hands clutching at her eyes. A blur. That was all she could see as she opened her eyes, spinning lights and colors that made no sense. And even that was fading, dimming with each passing breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Ren was still there. Even without her sight, she could sense the saber poised and pointed at her heart, hear his chest heaving with every breath, feel the decision being made. She was no longer a threat, not even worth a killing blow. Utterly defeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodbye, Scavenger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard his footsteps retreat before the world went black.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! I've noticed this story getting a little bit more love lately, so welcome newcomers! You've picked an excellent time to join because the next few chapters are a wild ride. I have a ridiculous amount of this written (and a ton of free time on my hands these days), so I may go back to posting twice a week if people are interested. Let me know in the comments!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. How is This Not Over?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The battle over Coruscant for the Capitol rages on as various pieces fall into place.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another week, another couple of chapters. This one is fairly short (and a lot of set up), but I'll be posting again on Thursday to make up for it.</p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Leia watched the battle unfold from her bird’s eye view. Well, her view was much better than a bird’s, high as she was above both the planet and the action over it. The Falcon zipped through her line of sight, accompanied by a zippy little orange X-wing, the two unstoppable as they took out foes left, right, and center.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But as she watched Poe and Chewie fly side by side, she was struck with another feeling, one that was not quite her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was with Ben. Alone, in pain, losing. No, Leia couldn’t handle another loss, not today. She needed Rey to survive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luke,” she whispered, appealing to her ghostly brother’s humanity. Or at least, what was left of it. “Do something. Help her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was little more than a feeling, just a bare hint that Luke had heard her pleas, but she held on to it, turning her seat to assess a blank swatch of space a second before a star destroyer appeared. The Finalizer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Engage the starboard cannons!” she shouted, the first blasts from the destroyer nearly knocking her from her seat. Then under her breath: “How many times do I need to blow up this ship?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sides of the Eclipse opened up to reveal a line of massive ion cannons, state of the art and ready to rock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“General, we’re locked on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned, taking one last look at the Finalizer. “Fire!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a breathless moment when she thought the shields had held, that their barrage had no effect on the ship, before it exploded into nothing right before their eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cheers went up on the bridge and Leia clenched her fist. She’d needed that moment of victory. Too bad it was short lived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the next moment, a familiar crack echoed across the bridge. And another. And another. And another. And another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten destroyers now stood between her and Coruscant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blood drained out of her face. But there was no time to panic, not when they had to lay cover for the fighters on the surface. “Come about!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without backup, there was only so long she could keep this up. But she’d try to buy Finn and Poe and the squadrons on the surface as much time as possible before meeting her end. Then she’d have words with their Maker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Eclipse swung on its axis, unleashing everything it had on the incoming destroyers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well this was less than ideal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux strode into pure chaos on the command deck. From the viewport, he could see down Imperial Boulevard, smoke rising from behind several buildings. Rebel scum. First they’d tried to breach his communications blockade, then they’d somehow infiltrated his troopers, and now they had the audacity to march down his streets in broad daylight broadcasting that fact. Things could not get much worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chancellor?” came Sellik’s voice from behind him. Hux closed his eyes. Something told him things were about to get worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” he snapped in response, not bothering to turn to face the commander.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve detected a ship in orbit. One of ours, but with unrecognizable signature codes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the Eclipse.” Hux ground his teeth. Of course Organa would have the nerve to attack him with his own kriffing ship. But was what one dreadnaught in the face of an entire fleet of destroyers. “Summon all destroyers to the Capitol. We can end this uprising and eliminate the Resistance in one fell swoop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right away, sir,” answered Sellik, the click of his boots indicating he’d gone to do just that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do we have in the air?” barked Hux at one of the young techs. He would not be shown up by these ridiculous rebels one second longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two sentinels, sir. But...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid swallowed thickly, unwilling to meet Hux’s gaze. “It appears they have been destroyed by the dreadnaught, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if to punctuate that point, a squadron of rebel ships dropped into view, heading for the smoking buildings further down the boulevard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Hux saw red. But he refused to let his rage blind him. That was Kylo Ren’s job. No, he needed to remain calm and in control, figure out his next steps. “How soon before the rest of the destroyers arrive?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tech hit a few buttons on his console. “The Finalizer is less than a parsec out, with the rest not far behind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent. Bring it on screen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In front of them, a hologram jumped to life, rendering the scene high above them in precise detail. The Eclipse stood mostly idle, providing cover to the small ships entering the atmosphere when the Finalizer cracked into existence right before it. This was about to get good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux watched as the Finalizer immediately engaged, getting a few good hits on the Eclipse before the rebel princess could get off so much as a shot. Their shields would be failing, alarms going off on every deck. Hux allowed himself a rare smile. Much like any pesky insect, if you killed the queen, you’d exterminate the whole hive. And there was no doubt that Organa was their queen. WIth her death, he’d watch this entire pathetic rebellion unravel right before his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So it definitely did not compute when the gun wells on the Eclipse opened and destroyed the Finalizer in a single volley of laserfire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO!” he shouted, his emotions getting the better of him. Silence rang through the command deck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the viewscreen, he watched multiple squadrons of X-wings flying low through the buildings, taking out the TIE hunters he’d sent to finish them. Could he really not catch a break?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily, ten additional destroyers blinked into existence in the next moment, an entire armada moving into formation around Organa and the stolen Eclipse. They opened fire, nimble and agile compared to the hulking dreadnought. But in a surprise move, the Eclipse came about, unleashing holy hell on the armada, the hologram lighting with every blast. And there were a lot of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a single squadron breaking through the city’s defenses, losing their tails to make a run for the Capitol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is this not over?” he shouted to nobody in particular. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A young officer answered, “It’s the stolen dreadnaught, sir. Our fleet isn’t equipped to engage a ship of that magnitude--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A blast rocked the Capitol, nearly knocking him from his feet. Lights flickered. Alarms rang out. Hux looked up in enough time to see their own cannons take out the leader, but it was too little, too late. They’d already gotten in a hit. The damage was done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to the officer, his eyes wild. “I mean ALL of it!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Several corridors away, Rose ducked into an alcove at the sound of boots approaching. She’d been lucky so far, easily able to hide from the roving patrols and wandering officers. Thank the Maker these First Order goons came with a warning system. The halls here echoed dreadfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hidden as she was, the procession of officers didn’t so much as look her way as they passed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready the hyperdrive,” said the lead man, his voice familiar to Rose. It was the other officer Hux had spoken to outside her cell, the one who spoke up against his orders. She felt her eyes go wide at his words. Hyperdrive? But that would mean…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Capitol was a ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That certainly changed things. She’d need to get word to Leia, the rest of the fleet...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was getting ahead of herself. She needed to listen, and the man was still speaking to his companions. “In the unlikely event our defenses are breached, we’ll make the jump to lightspeed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But sir, the Chancellor--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The leader cut him off. “The Chancellor is not thinking clearly. We must prepare for every eventuality.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So all was not well in the rank and file. Hux was losing support within the establishment. Interesting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched as a couple of men broke off, techs by the look of them, scanning their ID bars and disappearing through a door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The coast now clear, Rose tip-toed over a window overlooking the very spine of the Capitol, a conduit that extended from an unseen ceiling and into a deep, unknowable abyss. And at its center, stacked like vertebrae, sat the cubed transmission jammer. But there was no way to reach it, no bridges or access points that she could see, nothing that could hope to cross that pit. That wasn’t going to stop her from trying, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of a hidden pocket, she pulled the ID bars that she’d stripped from their guests earlier on the Eclipse. Gods, how many days ago had that been? Two? Three? Everything was starting to blur together in her mind, a single, never ending day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a long shot, but she scanned one of the bars in the door and held her breath. If she set off an alarm, it was all over. They’d swarm her in seconds, and there would be no escaping this time. Her only hope would be a swift death. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But no alarm sounded. And by some miracle, the door opened to admit her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose snuck into a control room of sorts, working her way behind a stack of nav consoles and out of sight of the techs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prepare for surface disengagement and ready the engines for hyperspace.” He paused, taking in the look of disbelief on his companions face. “Purely precautionary, of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose tried not to snort her amusement. She inched around the consoles, finding a panel on the floor. Jackpot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silently, she slipped beneath the floor and into some sort of crawl space, the techs still audible through the grated floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready to set the coordinates, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose crawled on all fours toward where the computer towers that controlled the hyperdrive extended into the subfloor, spying an access panel not too far away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plot a course for the Forve System.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Underfoot, she eased off the panel, revealing a tangle of wires in a rainbow of colors. Now this was her sort of problem. Immediately, her mind went into overdrive, making connections, thinking through every solution. Formulating a plan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without wasting any more time, she got to work.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're inching closer and closer to the finale, so let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. There's No Glory for Droids!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's one step forward, two steps back for the Resistance as they fight their way to the Capitol.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Going through my document this morning, I realized I have maybe two more chapters of this to write. Which is a little shocking, since it feels like I've been writing this FOREVER. But I can't wait to finish this thing and share the remaining 7 or 8 chapters with you guys.</p><p>So without further delay, enjoy chapter 26!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Leia watched the battle unfold over hologram and viewport, her heart sinking further with each passing moment. The X-wings were dropping faster than she could count, losses piling up. They couldn’t do this for much longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What she needed was some good news.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the destroyers reforming their lines after her last round of attacks. “Change the plan of attack! Don’t let them line up on us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just one piece of good news. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“General!” Connix came running from a console. Leia’s heart sank. She couldn’t handle one more setback. “General, our agent on the inside is contacting you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have an agent on the inside?” It wasn’t often that Leia was taken by surprise, but this was certainly one of those occasions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connix smiled, activating a small comm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Capitol is a ship!” crackled Rose’s voice over the speaker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rose?” Leia’s heart soared. “Slow down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Capitol is a ship,” Rose repeated, her voice steady. “They’re going to leave the planet! I can disable the hyperdrive, but I need the keycodes in R2’s memory drives.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now this was the good news she’d been hoping for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Artoo is with Finn on the ground.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finn’s alive?” The hope in Rose’s voice was almost too much to bear. Good news, indeed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia smiled over at Connix. “Let’s patch her through.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finn had his hands full on the ground. These damn brutetroopers just kept coming. It seemed like as soon as one went down, three more appeared in his place. Even with their own growing numbers, he wasn’t sure how much longer they could keep up at this pace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Overhead, Resistance fighters took out TIEs and did their best to clear a path for the ground troops, but still the First Order kept on coming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A streak of orange drew Finn’s eye to the sky where an extraordinary X-wing pilot was diving and spinning and taking out targets like a true ace. They leveled out and made a run for the Capitol itself, taking out turret guns and cannons in a dizzying display of pilotry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course that show drew the attention of the First Order, an entire squadron of TIEs giving chase to the distinctive ship. It was only a matter of time before they locked on and sent the X-wing spiraling down in a plume of smoke. Finn watched as the pilot was somehow able to bring the ship down in the middle of an advancing group of brutetroopers, taking them out in the crash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Save that pilot!” shouted Finn, taking off for the spot he’d gone down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They fought through the crowds, blasting their way to the downed X-wing and the pilot within. Finn jumped onto the wing, a familiar beep stopping him dead in his tracks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“BB-8?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cockpit popped upon with a hiss, revealing a familiar, hairy head within.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chewie! Where did you learn to fly like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His Shryriiwook was nowhere near up to par, but he could have sworn Chewie replied with something to the effect of “well before you were born, pup.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn laughed, giving Chewie a hand to get out of the crushed cockpit. “Fair enough.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Incoming!” shouted Rafe, and Finn looked up to find a fresh batch of heavy AT-MTs emerging through the rising smoke and debris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The revolution might be over before it really began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now wasn’t the time to give up. He handed Chewie a rifle and dove back into the action, leading their forces in pushing back the First Order troops down Imperial Boulevard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were now close enough that the Capitol itself had taken aim and was firing on them, Finn diving behind a downed walker when his comm crackled to life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finn!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The breath left his lungs in a rush. Rose. It was Rose’s voice coming through the speaker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rose, you’re alive!” It was almost too good to be true. Finn couldn’t believe it. “Where are you? We’re coming for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could almost feel Rose rolling her eyes across the city. “Great! In the meantime, I’m gonna need you to listen carefully. I need Artoo to send me the hyperdrive keys before this thing takes off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn blinked in confusion. “Hyperdrive? Where are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Rose wasn’t about to be deterred by unnecessary questions. “There’s a scomp link terminal at the base of the Capitol. I’ll have a direct connection to him from there. Got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Rose? I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you, too. Now get me R2-D2.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She clicked off, Finn looking around wildly for the wayward droids. They’d been right behind him just moments ago, but with the way things were progressing minute by minute, they could be anywhere by now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He climbed up the side of the downed walker and stood on top, using the vantage point to survey the battleground. Rebels of all ages were locked in clashes with the brutetroopers, the defected stormtroopers shoring up their lines. And there, huddled behind one of the overturned tanks, was a glint of gold. And where Threepio was, Artoo was never far behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sliding down the side of the walker, he took off for the flipped tank, dodging skirmishes as he tried to reach the droids. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Artoo! We need to get you to the Capitol!” He was already pulling R2-D2 toward the Capitol, ignoring Threepio’s protests.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Master Finn, we are really much more suited to rear unit duty. Far away from the front lines. As far as you can get, really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn looked up, trying to scout a path to get them to the base of the Capitol and the scomp terminal there. But even as he watched, a transport landed, spewing more brutetroopers onto the streets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Threepio was still chattering away, oblivious to Finn’s inattention, so he turned to reason with Artoo. “None of this matters if we don’t reach that terminal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In response, Artoo gave a determined beep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For glory?” shouted Threepio, throwing his hands up. The weak sun glinted off his arms, a beacon in the otherwise smoggy air. “What are you saying? There’s no glory for droids!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The laserbolt came out of nowhere. One second, Artoo was locked in a fierce argument with Threepio, and then next he had fallen over, his body scorched black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were no binary screams, no snarky beeps, no flashing lights, no sign of life whatsoever as they stood over his slightly smoking body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R2? R2!” shouted Threepio, trying to shake his lifeless form.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they weren’t in the clear yet, not by a long shot. Finn ducked as another blaster bolt passed just over his head. “Chewie! Cover us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Threepio was still trying to rouse his friend. “R2! Say something!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were running out of time. He looked down at R2’s smoking remains. “Those codes are in there somewhere.” Ignoring Threepio’s protests, he opened a panel and dug around, removing something a few seconds later, victorious. In his hand, he held Artoo’s memory drive, the decades of knowledge and memory contained within. “Sorry, buddy.” He then turned, shouting, “BB-8!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe’s little droid was at his feet instantly, ready for duty. He opened a little compartment, letting Finn put R2’s memory bank inside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s all up to you now, okay?” When BB-8 gave an affirmative beep, Finn dug out his comm. “Send the terminal coordinates to BB-8. He’s got this.” He turned back to BeeBee. “You’ve got this, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little droid nodded his dome, silent, stoic, ready to complete his mission.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn turned to Chewie and Rafe and the rest of the guys. “Ok, we’re covering this droid!” Immediately, they started laying fire, clearing a small path for BB-8 to move. “Go! Go!” Finn shouted at the little droid, taking cover behind the tank and helping the rest cover him.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn watched as he rolled into battle, narrowly missing explosions and blasterfire alike as he maneuvered through walker legs and around craters and dead brutetroopers with a practiced ease. Almost like he was made for the battlefield. A near miss with another thermal detonator had Finn’s heart in his throat. Oh gods, if he got Poe’s droid murdered, too, his life was forfeit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was so wrapped up in BB-8’s progress that he didn’t see the detonator heading their way until it was too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The explosion rocked their part of the street, knocking Finn off his feet and setting his ears ringing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fall back!” Rafe was shouting at their crew. “Fall back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The First Order was advancing at a rate they couldn’t hold. Across the boulevard their lines were falling and falling back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn started to do just that, realizing a few steps later that everyone wasn’t with them. “Threepio, come on! We have to move!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Threepio looked up from where he was kneeling over Artoo’s fallen body, a hand on his oldest friend’s scorched head. “I can’t leave him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn’s heart stuttered in his chest. He’d never seen Threepio display a single emotion besides fear, and in that moment the sadness in his modulated voice threatened to break him right there in the middle of the battle raging around them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noticing his hesitation, Chewie doubled back, reaching down to heft Artoo’s shell onto one shoulder. He loosed a fearsome growl that echoed through the streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With one arm holding Artoo aloft and the other blasting everything in sight, he and Finn and Threepio continued their retreat, racing toward cover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first hit made Chewie stumble. He shot back, the brutetrooper not faring as well. The second hit brought the Wookiee to his knees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn watched, helpless, as Chewie stumbled, barely able to keep Artoo in his grip as he went down. But before Finn could even cross over to help him, he was back on his feet, the situation finally dawning on Finn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were surrounded. Enemy fire pinned them down. Even with both him and Chewie firing, it was only delaying the inevitable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was how it ended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miles above him, Leia echoed those thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d watched as the little dots representing Resistance dwindled and were overwhelmed. As the First Order ships seemed to multiply in front of their very eyes. Between her and Poe, they’d been managing to keep the destroyers occupied and smaller ships from entering the atmosphere, but that was quickly becoming impossible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe’s voice crackled through the comms. “We’ll have no chance down there if these reinforcements make it through! We need more ships!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No shit. But there wasn’t much she could do when the galaxy wasn’t answering her call. She’d called in every favor, cashed in every chip, and still they were fighting for the galaxy alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t even thought of a response yet when a crack rattled her out of her thoughts. A new star destroyer had appeared. And another. And another. Leia watched in silent horror as the numbers grew more and more out of their favor. Not even the Eclipse could fight every star destroyer in the First Order’s fleet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A pang wholly unconnected to their own current doom struck her. Rey. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up, gazing into the space between stars. “Luke, I’m sorry.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We are back on Mortis next chapter. See you Tuesday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. You’ve Lost, Ben.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luke and Kylo Ren have a final face off on Mortis while Rey finds strength in her friends.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a short chapter (for which I apologize), but I just couldn't put anything else in here. Plus there will be another update on Thursday, so I promise not to keep you hanging all that long.</p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Victory did not taste as sweet as he’d imagined. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was almost too easy to defeat the scavenger. She’d been desperate, her strikes wild and undisciplined. More like the girl he’d first faced on Starkiller, the one who had never picked up a saber before, not the last hope of the Jedi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too much anger. Too much love. A disastrous combination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And yet, he hadn’t killed her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d been ready to. The end of his saber had been mere inches from her heart. But as she looked up at him, her tears stained red from her ruined eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. A weakness for sure, but one he wasn’t worried about. She posed no threat to him or anyone else in the galaxy in that condition. He watched as she fell to the stones, and left her there to die.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But as he strode up the steps of the temple, his victory felt hollow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d known. Everything. Every sin that he’d committed against her. This place had shown her the truth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her parents </span>
  <em>
    <span>were </span>
  </em>
  <span>nobodies, that much was true. They had attended to the needs of the temple and the new Jedi Order. Barely better than servants. She had no fancy blood nor famous name, no logical reason or right to be that powerful. And yet, there she was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d lived and worked side by side with them. Broken bread with them. Talked. Laughed. Even played with her on occasion. Her father would make little ships out of wood and Rey would make them fly. Ben had smiled and laughed and clapped right along with the rest of them. And when the time came, he hadn’t hesitated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The way she’d looked at him with such hatred in her eyes. The cruel smile that opened like a slash across her pretty face. In that moment, she’d wanted him dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pushed all that from his mind. There was no point in dwelling on it, not when he was so close to getting everything he wanted. Everything that was owed to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo Ren entered the temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hush fell as he stepped over the threshold. From their places against the wall, the statues of the ancients stared down at him, watching his progress across the dusty stone floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Deeper and deeper he went, drawn to the well in the center of the cavernous room. An unpolished slab of marble sat atop, sealing it off from the rest of the world. With a wave of his hand, he slid the marble off. It hit the ground with an echoing thud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing stood between him and this ancient power. Holding his breath, he peered into the heart of Mortis, eager for his reward…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only to find an empty hole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No...no…” he muttered, the anger rising in him. “NO!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran to the rune-covered walls, looking for answers. But the ancient words meant nothing to him and the ancients themselves mocked him from their positions on the walls. Without thinking, he ignited his saber, his fathomless rage leaving scars on the stone with each slash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve lost, Ben,” came the familiar voice of his first master. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren swung around, his anger knowing no bounds. “You’re dead! The Jedi are nothing more than ghosts!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke Skywalker stepped out of the shadows, looking as alive as he ever had. The only hint that he was not among the living lay in the faint blue that outlined his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Dark Side has failed you, like it failed my father,” he continued in that infuriatingly calm voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your father was weak!” Ren screamed in response to Luke’s lies. He would not listen to this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Luke wasn’t done with him. Not by a long shot. “His love for his family saved him. I wish it could save you.” His uncle’s bright blue eyes bore into his very soul.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did what I had to do.” His words came out as no more than a growl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke shook his head, always so disappointed in his pupil. “You chose hate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I chose power!” He ignited his blade and attacked, intent on proving to himself that his uncle was well and truly gone. Only when he swung the red beam, it was immediately caught in Luke’s gloved hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Impossible. He was dead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Luke was very real in front of him, a strength his uncle shouldn’t have been capable of pushing the red beam of his saber back toward Kylo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be stronger than any Skywalker ever was!” he screamed, desperation coating every word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke leaned in close, a smug smile on his lined face. “You are no Skywalker.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Outside, alone in the rain, Rey stirred. “Luke…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke’s expression changed, like he’d heard something Kylo couldn’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let go, Kylo. You can’t defeat us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren’s face screwed up. “Us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am not alone,” he said, a smile once again touching his lips. “Obi Wan was right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey flipped herself over, dragging her body up the temple steps inch by agonizing inch. Barely halfway up, her arm gave out. She collapsed. The pain was too great to go on. Then she heard his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re all connected. All living things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Luke. He was here in this place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lifted herself up, wincing with every movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From across the galaxy, she heard another voice. Out of the darkness, the bridge of a ship materialized, a familiar figure at the center. Leia. In the midst of a raging battle, her mentor paused. Placed a hand on her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Rey.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She was not alone. Rey dug deep, found a little more strength.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke’s voice drifted to her from the temple. “The Force surrounds us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scene shifted, showing a dark-haired woman elbows deep in a computer bank. Rose. A spark from the wires bit into her left hand, and she paused, sensing something.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Rey.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Rey could have sworn she felt Rose’s quiet strength and determination filling her, spurring her on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It penetrates us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her breath was snatched from her lungs in the next moment when she felt Poe’s presence in the darkness, the familiar cockpit of the Millennium Falcon coming into focus around him. It looked like he hadn’t slept in a week, his face lined in concentration as he dodged laserfire. Then, he paused, feeling the connection too. His voice reached her from across the galaxy.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Rey.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“It binds the galaxy together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rain beat down on her, and Rey tilted her head to the sky, speaking into the gloom. “Poe…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her chest ached with the missing of him. She steeled herself, knowing what she had to do next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are one, bound by the Force.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her arms shook, barely able to hold her. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fight, Rey. Fight.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A bombed out street, duracrete craters, and fallen walkers appeared in front of her ruined eyes and Finn in the middle of it all, looking right at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finn!” She could hear him as if he was next to her, as if they all were. Every one she loved, urging her to get up, to keep fighting.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fight…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With every last ounce of strength, she pushed herself to her feet. The Last Jedi, rising from the ashes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking the strip of green cloth from her injured hand, she wrapped it around her eyes. She didn’t need them anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inside, Kylo Ren continued to sneer at his former master, held back by his ghostly hand as he continued to monologue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we will not be broken.” He fixed Ren with a final wry smile before he faded back into nothingness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only to reveal Rey standing alone in the doorway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was soaked to the bone, bruised, broken, and blind, but determined, oh so determined. So Luke had been a distraction, buying her time to get back on her feet. But it didn’t matter. He had beaten her once, and he’d beat her again. But as she faced him down, ruined eyes hidden beneath an emerald green strip of fabric, he noticed something. The Force sang around her, through her, a chorus of more voices than he could count. Was this what Luke was babbling on about? For the first time, he faltered a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From halfway across the room, Rey could feel his anger pulsing, anticipate the way he moved, discern every breath he took. She didn’t need her eyesight to see right through him. His thoughts and feelings and emotions were as real to her as her own. Like every sense was on fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But none more than the connection between her and her friends, the family that she’d found and made her own. Their faces floated through her mind. Finn and Rose. Leia. Poe. For them, she would finish this. For them, she would go on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our masters were wrong,” she said, taking a step forward with each word. “I will not deny my anger.” Rey stopped just in front of him. “And I will not reject my love.” She extended an arm, her fallen lightsaber practically jumping into her hand. “I am the darkness. And I am the light.” Her lightsaber ignited, the familiar hum of the blades grounding her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had the opposite effect on her opponent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are nothing!” he shouted at her, his anger bright and burning in the darkness. “You are no one!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey smiled, feeling his fury at the expression. “No one is no one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She braced for impact.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! Leave me a comment to let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Thought You Could Use a Few Scoundrels</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A surprise from an old friend turns the tide of the war. Hux, recognizing defeat, does the unthinkable.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, I have been painting my house all day and completely forgot that it was Thursday! I don't normally post this late, but I figured better late than never. Anyway, this chapter is a big one, so I hope you enjoy!</p><p>Huge TW: If you read the script you know what happens to Hux here. If you didn't, he commits suicide. So if that is not something you can read, stop at "He actually lost the war." It is not graphic at all, but I don't want anyone surprised by it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Leia looked out the viewport at the carnage playing out in real time. A Resistance cruiser, their last one, plummeted toward planetfall, smoke and flames billowing from both engines. It was done. They were done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And somewhere halfway across the galaxy, Rey fought against Ben for her very soul. For the soul of the galaxy. On Mortis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t sure how she knew that, only that she did, the name whispered to her through the Force much like it had been to Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey. There had been a moment of connection earlier, a flash of pain so deep Leia could still feel it now. They were losing on all fronts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the opposite side of the bridge, Connix approached. “General, more ships arriving from the Outer Rim.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia felt her heart sink even further. Surely, they were there to rub salt in their wounds. She was already outnumbered 10 to 1, what were a few more?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prepare to retreat,” she ordered, her voice resigned. If there was still a chance they could live to fight another day, then Leia would take it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connix had frozen, her gaze trained on something in the viewport.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those aren’t First Order.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia’s head shot up, her heart racing as she struggled to take in the scene before her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What had once been an empty starfield dotted with destroyers, was now full of ships. A thousand, maybe more. And these weren’t the sharp and sleek ships of the First Order, but junkers and freighters and cobbled together messes piloted by the lowest of the galaxy. Pirates, smugglers, thieves that Han had spent half his life running from. But they weren’t the only ones who had shown up. No, Leia saw a few yachts, a couple of pleasure vessels, some good old fashioned shipping freighters. And out front, leading the charge, was an unforgettable powder blue ship, sleek and shiny in a way the rest of the ships just weren’t. The Lady Luck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The comms crackled to life. “Thought you could use a few scoundrels,” came Lando’s familiar purr, Leia laughing in spite of herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasted no more time with niceties, instead leading his ragtag fleet into battle, personal yachts and pirated craft flying together side by side in a patchwork navy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something soared in Leia’s chest, the past few hours so dark she almost didn’t recognize it. Hope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched in near disbelief as the rebel fleet overwhelmed the might of the First Order, 20, 30, 40 ships to a destroyer. It was no contest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose’s voice blasted through the comms. “Atta boy, Bee! I’ve got the key codes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just outside, another destroyer met its fate, the Lady Luck delivering the killing blow. Slowly, she realized what she was seeing. “They’re retreating,” she murmured to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A second later, Connix picked up the chorus. “They’re retreating. The First Order is retreating!” she nearly shouted, the bridge sending up a cry in response. “We need to send more ships into the Capitol!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia smirked. She knew just the man for the job.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hitting the button to open a direct line, her voice was clear when she ordered, “Poe, get down there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You didn’t have to tell him twice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though he hated to tear himself away from the action up here, Poe was needed elsewhere. He banked left before pointing the Falcon down, a steep descent that took his stomach right out from under him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was still almost too much to comprehend. One minute they’d been seconds away from defeat, destroyers dropping out of hyperspace faster than they could engage them, and the next, an entire fleet had appeared out of thin air, the tide of the battle changing. If Poe were a spiritual man, he’d say the Force had something bigger for them, a greater purpose that they needed to fulfill. A destiny. It was the kind of stuff Rey would say when she was looking for excuses not to kiss him or trying to deny her own feelings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey. Just the thought of her sent a pang through his chest. Something had happened on Mortis, something terrible, he could feel it in his very bones. But there was nothing he could do to help her from here. And Rey hadn’t wanted his help any way; she’d made that very clear. All he could do was make sure she had a free galaxy to come home to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he focused on taking out as many of the TIE hunters as possible during his dive, one, then five, then ten falling to his shots as he cleared the way for the rest of their ragtag fleet to join him on the surface. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as he hit the atmosphere, he dropped between the towering buildings, navigating the Falcon through the canyon-like edifices on either side. It wasn’t long before there were TIEs on his tail, the sides of the Falcon nearly scraping as he found his way down narrower and narrower streets. Without warning, the alley he’d chosen dumped him into the main square, Poe finally seeing what Finn had accomplished firsthand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow, his friend had managed to cobble together an army on the ground, modified walkers and heavily armed rebels facing off the might of the First Order… and winning. Or at the very least, holding their own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though Poe wasn’t sure why he was surprised. There had always been something special about Finn, some latent greatness that the First Order was either too stubborn or too dumb to see. But from the moment Poe clapped eyes on him, he knew FN-2187 was destined for more than living and dying among the unnamed masses. Finn deserved a life, and Poe intended to keep it that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he jumped into the fray, taking out bombers and enemy walkers with deadly precision, the Falcon responding to his every command like it was made for him. They didn’t make ‘em like this anymore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And maybe that was a good thing, since his guns jammed a second later, locked up and unresponsive. There was nothing he could do, not when he was alone in the bird, no astromech, no co-pilot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Across the square, he spied a familiar hairy head and an even more familiar not-so-hairy one. Chewie and Finn. A line of massive AT-MTs bore down on them, their weapons useless in the face of that much might. Poe hit the guns, but they gave an empty click. Nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had an idea. Chewie and Rey would kill him, but as the walkers worked their way closer and closer to his friends, he couldn’t see another option. Sending a quick prayer to the Force and asking Han Solo to forgive him, he made for the square and braced for impact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a crash unlike any he’d ever been a part of - and he’d had his fair share - the screech of metal on metal echoing throughout the Capitol. He held on for dear life as the Falcon cut the walkers off at the knees, heading for that strange top-like building at the end of the street. The Capitol of the First Order. A ship, according to Rose, if he heard her over the comms correctly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alarms rang out, multiple systems overworked and overheating as he pushed the old girl to her breaking point. Apparently, the Millennium Falcon was not the best option for a battering ram. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though, it seemed to do in a pinch as one by one, the walkers fell, a domino effect that dropped them right at the Capitol’s front door. The Falcon gave way a second later, losing altitude and velocity until it ground to a stop at the front of the heap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How was that for an entrance?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hux couldn’t believe his eyes. No, that wasn’t accurate. Hux refused to believe what was happening right in front of his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The battle had been won. Their destroyers had finally overwhelmed that infernal dreadnaught and the former princess had been on the retreat. He had been mere seconds away giving the order to finish her and her pitiful Resistance off once and for all when the unthinkable happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, technically, they hadn’t lost yet, but it was only a matter of time with that many ships in play. Thousands upon thousands had shown up from all over the galaxy to lay waste to his careful order and control. This was why they needed to destroy these rebels before they’d reached the Capitol and got that infernal message out. And here, he’d hoped Ren had gotten to it before it reached the entire fucking galaxy, but of course that would have been too much to ask of him. He was surrounded by incompetence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, he was forced to watch his once great city fall into the hands of the enemy in real time. Enemy ships breaching the atmosphere. Enemy walkers taking the boulevards. Enemy troops flooding the square.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their defenses were failing. Those blasted brutetroopers weren’t worth a single credit. And don’t even get him started on the stormtroopers. He blamed his father for that one. There was a glitch in their programming, there must be. What else would account for this mass desertion? Their faltering loyalty? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The traitor was behind this. FN-2187. He had been the beginning of all this madness and it looked like he would bring about the end. The aberration would be the undoing of them all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And where was their glorious Supreme Leader in all of this? Nowhere to be found. Fucked off to the Unknown Regions doing gods knew what with that girl. They deserved each other. He hoped they were both dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir,” called one of the young officers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux turned his attention to the battle unfolding on the viewscreen. A fresh line of AT-MTs had just taken to Imperial Boulevard and were doing quite well at pushing back the rabble. He watched them fight fruitlessly against their might, blasters and rudimentary clubs having no effect on the plated blast-proof armor. The rebels were falling back. Perhaps all was not lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just then, a familiar looking freighter appeared in the corner of the screen. The Millennium Falcon. How that ship had vexed them over the years. Always front and center for their greatest defeats. But now, it looked out of control, unable to shake a tail of TIEs as it headed into the heart of the city. This was going to be good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pilot was good, there was no denying that, but the TIEs were better, getting in hits that left scoring on the hull of the Falcon. And still the pilot pushed the old bird, picking up speed the closer he got to the Capitol. The closer he got to the advancing AT-MTs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he wasn’t slowing down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux watched in disbelief as the Millennium Falcon hit the first walker, taking it out at the knees before moving on to the next and the next and the next. They fell like so many dominoes, that smoking wreck of a ship at the center of it all. And right on their very doorstep. The ignominy of it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the loss of the walkers and the support of the Resistance ships above, the rebels started to overtake the city. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prepare the Capitol for launch!” shouted someone on the bridge. Perhaps it was Sellick. Hux was too distracted to notice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaxons went off in equal measures, warning of their impending departure. They were retreating, putting their tail between their legs and slinking off like cowards. Sellick had given the order. Someone who wasn’t him. It was like he’d lost all control of his men. Of the Empire itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” he shouted, not caring that enough spittle flew from his mouth to make two officers take a step back. “Bomb the city! Decimate every last one of them!” He didn’t care who died, as long they maintained control of Coruscant. With the jammer still in place, no one need know how close to defeat they had been. And he’d slit the throat of anyone who so much as whispered about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But nobody moved at his tirade, the bridge quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Minus the klaxons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sellick looked at him with pity in his eye. “Our forces are outnumbered. There is no hope if we stay here. We retreat immediately.” Then realizing who he was speaking to added, “Sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux looked around at the pity mirrored on every officer, tech, and secretary’s face. Not a single person stood to refute Sellick. He’d lost them all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Refusing to be an object of pity for a moment more, he rushed from the bridge, down the familiar halls toward his rooms. A blast rocked the ship, Hux holding on to the wall to keep his feet beneath him. More alarms rang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found his apartments much as he’d left them, cold and full of meaningless objects. Another blast shook the ground beneath his feet, this one sending Hux to his knees for a moment. They’d lost. He’d lost. He’d actually lost the war. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was that thought that drove him forward to the case lit up in the center of the room. And there, in its place of honor, sat his most prized possession. For the first time since he acquired it, he opened the case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lightsaber was heavier in his hand than he remembered. Or maybe it was the knowledge of his dark purpose there that made it feel so. He brought it to his stomach. Placed his finger on the activator. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, he hesitated. Perhaps, this wasn’t the course. Perhaps, all was not lost. Perhaps, the fight was not over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A flash of light in the wide windows caught his eye, Hux looking up in enough time to watch as two of their destroyers fell from the sky, fire trailing behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hit the switch on the saber. His last thought was that it was such a lovely purple.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ahhh, so what did you think? </p><p>Next up, we have another trip to Mortis. We're so close to the ending, folks. I can't wait.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Goodbye, Ben.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rey and Kylo Ren battle to the death on Mortis.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this is a short chapter, but its a good one, and it definitely needed to stand on its own. But have no fear, there'll be a second update this week to even things out.</p><p>On a much happier note, I completely finished writing this story over the weekend. I'm so proud of what I accomplished with this story and I literally cannot wait to share the rest of this with you guys. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Rey didn’t have to brace long. The impact came, fast and furious, reverberating up both arms. But the strength she’d gathered on the steps held true, her staff absorbing his hit and getting in one of its own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could feel his surprise as she held her own against him, and again at the power behind her blow. He was expecting her to go down without a fight. To fall just as easily as she had the last time. But what Ren didn’t understand, what he could never understand, was that love wasn’t a weakness. It was a strength, one she drew from again and again with each strike of her staff. And so, this time they were evenly matched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every blow was met in kind. When Rey went low, Ren was there to block it. When he tried to bring a sweeping chop from above her head, she was there to swat it away. And again. And again. And again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a dance, the steps as old as time itself. The Jedi and Sith had perfected this eons ago, every movement carefully orchestrated to bring maximum damage. Had anyone been watching from above, it would have looked beautiful, the lightness of the footwork, the play of light across the faces of the combatants. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was what Luke had been trying to teach her with that blindfold in the caves. Without her sight, she could sense and feel everything around her, each breath and move coming to her a second before it was taken. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Round and round they went, sabers meeting and parting in the space of a breath, the unholy clash of blades echoing around them in the massive stone chamber. From the walls, the Ancients watched their futile attempts, their skills and power too balanced for any clear winner to emerge. Two sides of the same coin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey knew how this would end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But still she fought on. She would die here, but not trying. No, she was going to finish this once and for all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, there were near misses. A graze on a thigh. A glance off an arm. But they were minor hurts, the adrenaline of the fight washing away the pain as soon as it could bloom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, the tide turned. While Rey continued to gather strength, Kylo Ren’s waned. He was growing tired, sloppy. Whatever power he’d stolen was starting to falter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey started to wonder if maybe the fates had been wrong. Perhaps she didn’t need to die here to defeat him after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that hope bolstering her every move, she swung out, a vicious lash that caught not only the hilt of his unstable lightsaber, but several of his fingers as well. The hilt shattered in his ruined hand, and the crystal within fractured into a million pieces as Ren cried out in pain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Disbelief flowed through him. He stumbled back away from her, toward the empty well in the very heart of Mortis. Fell to his knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The connection between them sprang to life, Rey able to see herself through his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood, taller than should have been possible after that fight, her head held high. There was a beauty to the anger on her face, a fierceness that had always lived just below the surface. For years she’d been pushing it down, ignoring that anger, but now she let it flow freely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took her in, stunned by the magnitude of the power that thrummed along her veins. It was unfathomable, the living Force within her, the brilliance of it unable to be contained by her skin. She glowed with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Separating her staff into two blades, she pointed one at Ren’s chest, ready to administer the killing blow. But something in her hesitated, that small piece that still belonged to the Jedi order balking at killing a man on his knees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That second of hesitation would be her downfall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anger rose in him, a rage so powerful that it had no beginning and no end. He reached out a hand like Tor Valum had taught him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pain, all consuming, erupted within her. It was like the flesh was being stripped from her body, and something worse, something much deeper and essential being cleaved from her very soul. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rose, her feet several inches off the ground as Kylo took what he wanted from her, a stream of light leading from her body to his hand. Her skin dried and cracked while her bones began to turn to dust. Ripping off her blindfold, she screamed into the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And across from her, Kylo rose to his feet. Flexed his repaired hand. Met her gaze with an unblemished face, the wounds she’d seen in her vision having disappeared along with the parting gift she’d given him on Starkiller all those years ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned his attention to the empty well. “They were wrong. All of them. The power of this place can’t be taken.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was barely hanging on. “Ben…” Rey hated the way her voice sounded, like she was begging him, but there was nothing else she could do.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo Ren smiled at her, a truly terrible sight. “But it’s nothing compared to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though it didn’t seem possible, he took ever more from her, not that there was much of her left to take. She struggled to remain conscious, her body hollow, used up. Summoning every last ounce of strength, she reached out a hand to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ben… please…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently, she reached out with more than her hand, as that earlier link burst into life. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Leia’s voice that spoke across the galaxy, carried by the Force itself. It echoed off the stone walls of the temple, coming from the well itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren paused, unable to ignore his mother’s voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They could both feel her presence, almost as if she was in the room with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Come back to me. Come home.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey watched in disbelief as those words sank in. Slowly, something changed on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t do this. Help us.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Though she was weak, so very weak, Rey could feel the change taking place in him. It blossomed slowly, something akin to love taking hold where his heart used to be. When he looked at her, his face held none of its usual malice, none of that crushing certainty in his purpose. Instead, it was regret that coated those strange features. He reached out, this time taking her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The effect was instantaneous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a gasp, she felt the living Force flow back into her, eyes flying open as the power hit her. She could see. Everything. It slid down her bones, repairing, revitalizing, her skin returning to its earlier glow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t only her power that traveled along the connection, but Kylo Ren’s as well, the Light swirling with the Dark inside of her to create something wholly new. Not Light or Dark, but both together. A balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But as Rey’s strength grew, so in equal measure did Ren’s fail. He shrunk before her very eyes, his skin growing papery as his eyes grew dim. No more than a shell of a man, a frightened boy within. In all things, balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pain became too much, and they collapsed against each other, foreheads touching as each propped the other up. Slowly, they slid to the ground, spent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They faced each other with heads resting on the rough stone floor. His breaths rasped in her ears, foretelling the final moments of a dying man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solana,” he managed to choke out, his voice rough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a name, one that struck a chord deep inside her. A key that unlocked some knowledge she’d long kept hidden from herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your name,” he added, taking one final gasping breath. “Rey Solana.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes, once cold and dark, held a light that was quickly dimming. She reached out and placed a hand on his cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodbye, Ben.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With one final look that could only be described as love, his eyes fell closed for good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled onto her back, eyes taking in the soaring stone ceiling. He was gone, she’d done what she needed to do. And though she could feel the power he’d given to her, feel the ways in which it had fixed what he’d stolen, it had all been too much for her body. Fate would take what it was owed from her, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every breath ached in her chest, muscles too weak to so much as twitch. She was dying. There was no denying it. With that last ounce of strength, she let herself think of Poe. She imagined him victorious on Coruscant, arms raised as the Capitol fell. Watched in her mind’s eye as Leia presented medals to him and Finn and Rose and Chewie. He would move on, grow old, tell the children and grandchildren about the young Jedi who’d saved them all. Who he’d once known and loved. He would be happy. Without her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s eyes closed, twin trails of tears working their way down her cheeks as she took her final breath.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think, and I'll see you on Thursday with another update!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. She's Gone.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Poe, Finn, and Rose bask in victory, but the celebration turns bittersweet as they all realize someone is missing. Rey meets with some of the greats on the other side.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ah, we're so, so close folks. Just two more chapters and an epilogue before the end. I'm so excited to finish this journey! Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was over. It was really over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finn walked through the smoke and the debris, Rafe and the other renegade stormtroopers following behind him. In the distance, Poe climbed out of the wrecked Falcon’s cockpit with Chewie’s help, his dark eyes spotting Finn across the square.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Poe smiled, but he looked different, more serious than he should have amid this stunning victory. Had he felt it, too? Rey crying out in pain and anger on the other side of the galaxy. What had happened between them on Bonadan?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But now wasn’t the time to ask, not when victory was with their grasp. Seeing a fallen flag with the Resistance starbird painted in crude orange, Poe picked it up, handing it to Finn and nodding toward the top of the pile of walkers they’d dropped right on the First Order’s doorstep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You do the honors,” he said, clapping Finn on the shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finn laughed, climbing up a smashed ship to the top of the highest walker, Poe and Chewie a step behind. When he reached the top, he raised the flag, waving it for all to see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A cheer went up among the crowd, rebels old and young celebrating in the streets. The brutetroopers had all retreated, the First Order ships and TIEs were all down, and the last of the walkers were beneath their feet. All they needed was Rose and the disabled hyperdrive, and victory would be complete.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though apparently short-lived, as the ground started to shake beneath their feet, the Capitol ship rumbling to life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everybody get back!” shouted Poe while it started to rise out of its moorings, not caring as it knocked over buildings in its haste.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The roar of the engines thundered through the streets, sucking up all other sounds in its wake. Finn turned to Poe. “Rose! Rose is still in there!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They exchanged a quick look before taking off toward the ship, sliding down the walkers to hit the ground running. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Up ahead, coming from the direction of the ship’s former base, Finn spotted BB-8 rolling toward them at double time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“BB-8!” he shouted, trying to raise his voice above the din. “Where is she?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The droid trilled a rapid string of binary that Finn had no hope of understanding. He looked to Poe for translation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Escape pod!” he shouted over the roar, and immediately, Finn started scanning the sky for a small craft.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And there, from just behind the massive rising Capitol, a small pod materialized, making for the ground in a hurry. It crashed barely 50 feet from them, Finn rushing over to the tiny smoking ship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rose!” he shouted, hitting the release on the pod. It hissed, revealing a slightly battered Rose, though if that was from the crash or the First Order interrogation was anybody’s guess. He put a hand on her slightly bruised cheek. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled up at him, amused. Her hand covered his. “I’m fine,” she answered, and before she could say another word, his lips were on hers, relief thrumming through him as he kissed her for all to see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no,” came Threepio’s voice. There was no better way to kill the romance. “They’re getting away!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finn pulled back and they all looked skyward, to where the enormous ship was doing just that, about to reach the outer edge of the planet’s atmosphere.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to Rose, helping her out of the craft. “Did you get to disable the hyperdrive?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t figure it out,” she said with a shake of her head. Turning, she squinted up at the ship as it became smaller and smaller against the bright sun. “Not enough time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finn’s heart sank. They hadn’t won the war after all. If that ship survived, it wasn’t over. And there would never be another moment like this one. The First Order would always be waiting in the wings to strike again. A constant threat to their peace. How could Rose be so calm about all this?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So I made some adjustments to their navicomputer instead,” she continued with a creeping smirk. “Without precise calculations that thing could--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In that moment, the Capitol reached space, the hyperdrive glowing as it prepared to jump. It winked out of existence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And a thunderous boom shook the planet, the explosion so bright they needed to cover their eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...fly right into a star,” she finished.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instantly, every radio, comm, and receiver crackled to life, a cacophony of voices filling the air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rise up!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s more of us than there are of them!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve got ‘em, boys!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Capitol is down! Repeat, the Capitol is down!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All across the square, the cheers went up as the Resistance members easily rounded up what was left of the First Order’s offensive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finn slung one arm around Rose, the other around Poe as an old Rebellion song reached their ears, the grizzled old woman from underground leading the chorus. Next to him, Poe’s rich baritone joined the voices all around them, the smile on his face the widest Finn had ever seen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a moment of pure elation, relief palpable in the air. They’d done it, they’d really done it. The pain and loss and years of war had finally brought them here, to a new world that they got to shape as their own.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But that moment of joy didn’t last long. There was someone missing from the celebration.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all seemed to realize it at the same time, Finn looking from Rose’s fallen face to Poe’s own heartbreaking expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You feel it, too?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Poe nodded, his words barely more than a breath. “She’s gone.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Silence. That was what death was like. A silence so pure Rey had never heard anything like it. And darkness. An all consuming black that threatened to swallow her whole.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A light. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Weak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Filtering through her eyelids.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That light grew and grew, incrementally, until it was nearly blinding, even through the protection of her closed eyes. And then as abruptly as it came, it rose to a crescendo and winked out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey blinked awake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a strange kind of place, bright but not overwhelming like before. Energy flickered, things materializing into actual objects. A door. A wall. It was like she was floating above it all, detached from anything as concrete as a body, but as soon as she pondered that, her body appeared, almost as if she’d willed it into being.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She flexed her fingers, rolled her shoulders, stretched her legs, marvelling at how the pain had simply disappeared. It was like she was brand new.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the distance, three of those glimmering lights started to grow larger, taking shape into something more humanesque. She walked toward them, the ground solidifying beneath her feet with each step.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time she made it to the three beings in front of her, the very air had taken shape around her, coalescing into a familiar hold of a familiar ship. She knew this place like the back of her hand, every nook, cranny, and scrape written on her heart. The Millennium Falcon. Her ship. She took a seat across the dejarik table from her visitors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this death?” she asked, the only question on her mind since she’d woken up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three men looked at each other a long moment before the one in the middle turned to her, his dark beard and warm eyes declaring him as Luke’s first master, Obi-Wan Kenobi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In this place, there is no such thing as death,” he said, his voice as gentle as his eyes. The lilting accent he spoke with nearly matched her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I can see.” She held her hand up in front of her eyes as if to prove it to herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Obi-Wan’s smile crinkled his eyes. Like a certain pilot she knew. She ignored that way that twisted her heart. “Your true self is free of suffering. Free of pain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The small green being to his left spoke up, his voice high and his diction strange. So that must be Master Yoda. “Taught us much, you have. Mmmhmm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve taught you?” She blinked at him in confusion. What could she have possibly taught them? How to die spectacularly? How to lose against the Dark side?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm. Succeeded where we have failed. Narrow was our point of view.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well that didn’t clear things up much. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man on the far right smiled, seemingly understanding Rey’s confusion. His face was as familiar to Rey as her own these days, though for once Master Luke wasn’t looking at her with concern or disappointment on his face but a fondness so intense she nearly had to look away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You chose to embrace the Dark side and the Light,” he explained, his voice soft and even. “To find balance within.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Across the bench, Master Yoda nodded. “Co-exist, they must, as such feelings do in all of us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, so she’d done something right after all. Though in the moment it hadn’t been much of a choice, more of an instinct, pure reaction. But they still hadn’t answered her most pressing question. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, if I’m here… with you…” She left it open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Three faces fell, another look exchanged between them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time it was Master Yoda chosen to deliver the news. “A choice you must make. To return or to remain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, there is serenity. Knowledge. Peace. Those lost, but not forgotten,” picked up Luke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At some point over the last few minutes, the scene had changed, morphing into that shimmering place she’d woken up in once more. Now, they were all standing. It seemed this place didn’t adhere to any of the normal rules. Good to know. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked out into the darkness, where those specks continued to glimmer in the distance. Calling to her. A pull so intoxicating she was having trouble focusing on anything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There, you will face a galaxy in turmoil,” answered Obi-Wan, his gentle voice only somewhat softening the blow of his words. “Pain, suffering. The loss of those you love.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey’s heart squeezed in her chest. She’d had just about enough of loss. More than a lifetime’s worth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though Master Yoda wasn’t done. “But living you will be.” He stepped forward, using a gnarled walking stick. A smile transformed his tiny features. “Love, you shall.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately, Poe’s face sprang to her mind. Those warm eyes in the dim lights of her quarters. A calloused hand on her cheek. That smile she loved so much, the one that crinkled his eyes into something so soft and loving it was hard to look at directly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Other faces joined Poe’s. Finn’s gentle eyes. Rose’s wide smile. Leia’s all-knowing look. The people she loved. The people she was now allowed to love.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t even a decision. Not a real one, at least. She turned toward the Masters. “Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everything around her began to fade into nothingness, the glimmers growing brighter by the second. She watched as Masters Yoda and Kenobi faded back into the living Force, Master Luke sticking around long enough to give her one final wink before the light overtook him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Obi-Wan’s voice that saw her to the other side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are a Jedi, Rey Solana. But you will not be the last.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey took the final step. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I was super nervous to write this section since I'd basically already done a version of Rey's vision a couple months before this script dropped (check out <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22235089">While She Was Sleeping</a> for a different take on this and that TROS ending). But it turned out not to be as difficult as I feared. I hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Bring Back Our Girl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After the defeat of the First Order, medals are awarded and life goes on. Leia balances the ghosts of her past with her hope for the future.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Real talk: I cried more than once while editing this. I haven't looked at this chapter since I wrote it nearly a month ago, and I apparently went hard. You'll have to forgive me for leaning in to the nostalgia. I am weak.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Leia took a deep breath, checking her hair one final time in the mirror. It was a complicated updo, braids and twists and pins galore, all just waiting to fall. But today was the big day, and she needed a hairstyle to match the momentous occasion. Everything seemed to be its place, so Leia smoothed her long white dress one more time and headed out of her new quarters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d taken over one of the old government buildings on Coruscant now that the Capitol was well and truly gone. It was the place they’d housed Senators in the old days, and Leia imagined her birth mother doing the same before taking to the floor. From what she could tell, Padme Amidala had been endlessly more put together and glamorous than she could ever hope to be. No, she took after her true mother, and it was a much more simple elegance that the Organa women were known for. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connix was waiting just outside the door to go over the last minute details. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, there will be four in total,” she said, tapping away at a datapad while they walked. “The medals will be held by General Calrissian, and you’ll need to wait for-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia put up a hand to stop her. “For the fanfare. Yes Kaydel, I know. This isn’t my first rodeo.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Though hopefully</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it will be my last</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, General,” Connix said with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, how she couldn’t wait to drop that title. Though, who would she be now? She hadn’t been a part of the legislature in years, so Senator Organa seemed a bit off. And it felt like a lifetime ago that she’d been Princess Leia. No, that wouldn’t do. Maybe for once she’d just be Leia. Whoever that was. Thankfully, she had the rest of her life to figure it out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the blink of an eye, they were standing on the stage erected for this day. They’d build the damn thing exactly where the Capitol had once stood, Leia’s view of the main square unobstructed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The piled up walkers had been removed, and the Millennium Falcon fixed up to fight another day. Being from all over the galaxy filled every street, alley, and square of the planet, screens erected to broadcast the ceremony for those who couldn’t get close enough. And high above the crowd, the Resistance flag flew, the same one that Finn had waved all those months ago in victory. Much like them, it was a little worse for the wear but victorious nonetheless, flying proudly in the midday sun. A beacon of hope and peace for all to see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fanfare blasted through the square, and four shapes appeared at the end of the aisle. It was a long walk down through the crowd, Finn and Poe and Rose and Chewie waving to friendly faces here and there. Leia’s mind flashed to another ceremony, another victory, when she’d given Han and Luke their medals. It hit her once again that she was the only one left, and tears sprang to her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. Not the only one. She smiled at Chewie. It was just the two of them, now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They climbed the stage and stopped a few paces in front of her, surrounded as she was by her top officers. She said a few words, expounding on their loyalty and bravery and dedication to the cause, but though she meant them from the bottom of her heart, the words still felt hollow. There was someone they all loved missing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t felt Rey since that day of victory on Coruscant. It was like she disappeared, a light suddenly blinked out. Leia feared she knew what that meant, but refused to consider it. Though Ben had gone about the same time, that felt different. Similar to what she’d felt when Luke and Han left this world, a loss, an emptiness, nothing like the complete absence of Rey. She decided to let that give her hope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was time, so she turned to Lando - er, General Calrissian - resplendent in powder blue and gold, and took the first medal, placing it over Rose’s head. Finn, then Poe were next, Leia saving the most important for last. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She picked up the final medal, Chewie taking a knee so she could place it over his head. Even kneeling, it was a close thing. Leia had never been known for her stature. But finally, she slipped that medal over his head and a forty-year-old wrong was righted once and for all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, the four heroes turned to face the crowd, the answering cheers threatening to deafen them all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was later that night, after the reception and the mingling and the crowds, that they all stood on the landing platforms, ready to take off into the galaxy once more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rebuilt Millennium Falcon sat side by side with Rose’s Phantom Hawk, the former looking better than Leia had ever seen it. She smiled. Han would hate it. She could almost hear his voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You took away all her character!</span>
  </em>
  <span> he’d say, running a hand over the now pristine hull. There was no doubt in her mind that he’d know where each and every carbon score had been buffed out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No self respecting smuggler would ever fly a bird this clean.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Good thing you never were respectable, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she’d shoot back and Han would fix her with that crooked grin, the one that hadn’t changed in all the years they’d known each other. Scoundrel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Han wasn’t here. With a blink, the whole fantasy dissolved, leaving her right where she started - on the landing platform, saying goodbye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was yet another bittersweet moment as Leia would of course be staying behind on Coruscant to help rebuild the government the First Order had destroyed. Already, there were rumblings of Chancellor Organa that she needed to put down. They were going to do it right this time if it was the last thing she did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the rest of her team had new adventures ahead of them, Finn and Rose off to a quiet planet in the Mid Rim to start a new life while Poe and Chewie traveled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to try and do the impossible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia looked down at the bracelet in her hand, an old binary beacon that had served them well for many years. The blue light had winked out when Rey went missing and now sat as dull as a stone in her palm. Perhaps Rey had simply broken hers and this was now a worthless piece of jewelry. Or perhaps…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t feel her presence,” said Leia, her audience looking grave around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn bowed his head. He’d said as much over the months as well. But Poe looked defiantly on, either unable or unwilling to accept that knowledge. Gods, he reminded Leia of herself sometimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But there’s a calm I’ve never felt before,” she continued. “Balance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn nodded, his words so certain that Leia believed them. “That’s her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And why wouldn’t she? Finn had proven himself to be quite the fledging jedi over the past months. Rey had passed on more knowledge than Leia had ever guessed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>BB-8 chose that moment to roll up, beeping merrily in that way he had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose smiled, patting his dome fondly. “Come on, we’ve got work to do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gave Leia a quick hug and was gone, BB-8 following her into the waiting Phantom Hawk. Poe tried his hardest not to let his face fall, but Leia could see his trepidation as he watched the droid go. He’d never been good at letting go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to him, placing the beacon in his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes were steely as he accepted the bracelet. “I’ll never stop looking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” Leia’s smile was a little shaky. “That’s why I’m giving you this.” Her hand closed his around the beacon. “Bring back our girl.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe wasn’t a big man, but his hug completely engulfed her. There were tears in both of their eyes when he finally pulled back, a son to her in everything but blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise.” That stubborn determination on his face gave her hope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next, it was Chewie’s turn, his hug nearly making her old bones grind. “Okay, okay. Easy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He roared in response, and Leia gave him a fond pat. They were the last of the old guard, the only two left standing. Han and Luke’s absence felt like a physical weight in that moment. She looked up at Chewbacca, those venerable eyes containing a sadness she could only just comprehend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I feel them, too,” she said, her smile weak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a final chuff of goodbye, he was gone, leaving only Finn and Poe with her on the platform. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched as Finn approached Poe, a small bundle under one arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me know what you find,” he said, Poe nodding in response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will.” He reached out to put a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “We’ll find her. I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn smiled, the look of hope on his face so pure that Leia’s heart gave squeeze. “Well, for good luck.” He handed over the bundle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe took one look at what appeared to be a leather jacket and smiled before pulling Finn into a hug. “Thanks, buddy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a final look backward, Poe was gone. And then there was one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me know when you two are settled,” she said to Finn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded. “Of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her one final hug before walking up the ramp to the Phantom Hawk, both ships gearing up to take off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Leia watched them go, the ion exhaust rippling her long dress around her. She was always the one watching the people she loved go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waited until they’d winked out of view before making her way back into the building. The thought of retiring to her room with only her thoughts for company left her feeling despondent, so she made her way down into the heart of the building, where mechanics and droidsmiths were working diligently on bringing an old friend back to life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Threepio stood watch, much as he had been for the past few weeks as work progressed. It was delicate work bringing a droid back from this kind of damage, and Threepio hadn’t left R2-D2’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s he coming along?” asked Leia, entering the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>C-3P0 started. “Oh, Mistress Leia, I didn’t see you there.” He quickly recovered into his usual self. “A quick cycle through his memory banks and he’ll be his old self again soon.” There was a pause. “I hope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia put a hand on his shoulder, not that he could feel it. Though she was sure he appreciated the gesture. “He’ll be fine, 3-P0. I’m sure of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I can’t imagine what I’d do without him,” Threepio said, shuffling around nervously. “I know he’s stubborn, but I, I--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” And she did. Unfortunately, she knew it all too well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking around the little workshop, she found Artoo’s memory drive, rescued and preserved by BB-8 during that final run to the finish line. Turning it over in her hand, she walked over to the little droid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crouching down, she added the drive to its proper bay, smiling in spite of herself. She’d been in this position before. At the start of it all. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a few seconds but Artoo whirred to life, lights flashing and binary beeping in a nearly unintelligible string. That’s when the recordings started.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scenes from a lifetime ago sprang to life right in front of her eyes, projected directly from Artoo’s memory bank.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Luke, 19 if he was a day, purchasing C-3P0 from a group of Jawas, all sandy hair and wide, blue eyes.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Obi-Wan Kenobi in his final days, handing over a lightsaber to Luke that he’d held on to for nearly 20 years.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The trench of the first Death Star as seen by Artoo’s spot on the back of Luke’s X-wing, the one in a million shot hitting true.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Han Solo, scruffy, cocky, and so sure with that crooked little smile on his face as he received a medal from her back on Yavin. His hazel eyes never leaving her round baby face. How young they’d all been back then. How in love they were already. How blind they’d been to it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A small green being lifting an X-wing from a swamp while Luke pouted nearby, his face growing more and more incredulous as it rose.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Luke again, this time in his Jedi best, giving a cocky little salute before jumping off the plank on Jabba’s barge.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leia and Han outside the bunker on Endor, about to drive the final nail in the coffin on the Empire. But they only had eyes for each other.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It went on and on. There were things she’d never seen before, like Luke’s anguish as his temple burned or his grizzled and gruff appearance on Ahch-To, and things that had been etched into her memory for eternity. Han’s smile. The cheer when they realized that they had the map to Luke. Those few moments of peace and hope on the Falcon after such a bitter defeat on Crait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then it was over, Leia wiping the tears that freely fell down her cheeks. She took a deep, albeit shaky, breath. “Thank you, old friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Threepio shuffled over. “Oh, you gave us quite the scare Artoo!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a final pat to the top of his dome, Leia left them to catch up, chuckling when Artoo immediately insulted Threepio and earned a smack in return. Those two. Some things never changed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made her way back up to her rooms, letting the memories wash over her. So many years. So many friends gone. It was a special kind of torture outliving everyone you loved, but Leia wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot. She wouldn’t leave this life until she’d righted the wrongs of the New Republic and the First Order. There was work to be done, and she was the best woman for the job.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that rush of optimism, she walked onto her balcony, the views from her apartment second to none on all of Coruscant. As she looked across the sprawling city stretching from end to end of the planet, she felt true hope for the first time in what felt like forever. Looking up, she could just make out the night sky amid all the relentless light of Coruscant. And there, just above her, a star streaked across the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia wished for peace, and in that moment, she found it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been weeks since they’d left Coruscant for the Unknown Regions and Wild Space, but Chewie and Poe were no closer to finding Rey than they had been at the beginning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d started back on Bonadan, Poe hoping that he could charm another map out of Nomi, but when they’d arrived her tent had been cleared, no evidence of the navigator or her entourage but the orbs left in the floor. So they backtracked, scouring the old sacred texts and hopping from world to world on the barest whispers of a Jedi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was still out there. He knew it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it felt like each planet, each fruitless stop, took them farther and farther from Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On that first day, he’d hung the beacon from the same hook as Han Solo’s dice, a hope that he’d one day find the woman he loved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was so much he needed to say to her. Especially after that shit she’d pulled on Bonadan. Though even a year later he could still imagine the feel of her in his arms, the scent of her skin, the brush of her lips against his own before she went and blew up his entire world in the space of a heartbeat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a shaky breath. Ok, maybe all was not quite forgiven. But that didn’t mean he didn’t still love her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, they were in hyperspace once again after another wasted trip to a far-flung planet, their latest tip proving to be even more worthless than the last seven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then, a flash of blue appeared out of the corner of his eye and his heart dropped into his stomach. He was up in a flash, the beacon in his hand in the space of a breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first it was weak, barely even a glow, but with each passing moment it grew a little stronger until it once again burned bright against the dim lighting of the cockpit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chewie, turn the ship around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He roared his concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, just turn around!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time in months, the sound of hope beat in his chest. It was an instinct. A feeling. She was alive. She was really alive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now, they knew where she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked out across the swirling stars as Chewie recalculated their trajectory. “Rey,” he whispered into the void. “We’re coming for you.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just two chapters left! Let me know what you think of this one, and then I hope you'll join me on Thursday for the penultimate chapter of Star Wars: Duel of the Fates.</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. You Came Back for Me.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rey wakes up on Mortis.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok, so forgive me this little indulgence, but this chapter is the only one wholly from my imagination. I felt like there were missing pieces (and sue me, I wanted an "on camera" reunion) so I connected some dots. If you are trying to stay true to the script, feel free to skip this chapter. The script goes directly from Poe's little chunk last chapter to what I'll be posting as the epilogue on Tuesday.</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It could have been minutes, hours, days, years later when Rey finally opened her eyes. Time had no meaning when you were dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Rey wasn’t dead, at least not anymore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d made her choice and taken that final step into the unknown. Balance incarnate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she could see. She blinked into the sunlight streaming down, her vision taking a moment to clear. Even in the real world, she could see again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But where in the real world was she? When she’d-- her brain hesitated on the word “died,” not quite ready to accept that truth. When she’d... fallen, it had been on Mortis, in the heart of the mountain. But as she looked around now, it was a forest where she woke, leaves in the bright red and orange of autumn surrounding her. They crunched under her back, the ground damp and loamy and starting to soak through her shirt. In the distance, a mountain rose out of the trees. The mountain where she’d… yeah.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, it was still Mortis at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey got to her feet, her body protesting surprisingly little for the condition she’d been in earlier. She stretched her arms, flexed her fingers and toes, even hopped from one foot to the other taking stock of her injuries. But she found none, her body healed the same as her sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she whispered into the ether. She knew they were listening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, to find a way off this rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if in answer to her silent question, the low rumble of a ship echoed off the trees around her, the familiar shape of the Millennium Falcon appearing overhead a second later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The word was little more than a breath on her lips, but her reply came moments later as if on a breeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she was running.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She paid no attention to the twigs and branches whipping against her skin as she took off in the direction the ship was headed, breath burning in her lungs. Slowly, the trees around her thinned, then stopped completely, Rey finding herself at the edge of a clearing. She stopped dead at the border, just under the shaded canopy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barely twenty paces away stood Poe, the touch of his gaze palpable on her skin. He looked different, older, in the dying light of the Mortis day, his face holding new shadows and lines that hadn’t been there the last time she’d seen him. The thick beard covering that handsome face confirmed that time had indeed passed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And his eyes. His eyes were alight with such a cautious hope, it almost hurt to look at him. Like he was afraid to even believe that she was standing in front of him. It rooted her to the spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey,” he whispered again, too breathless to be a real word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s all it took to break the spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was running again, the distance short and the crash inevitable. But welcome. So, so welcome.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The force of their collision sent him back a step, but he held on to her for dear life, the strength of his arms around her the most welcome feeling in the galaxy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now this was exactly like she’d remembered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes shone with unshed tears as he drank her in. “It’s you, it’s really you,” he said, the disbelief in his voice enough to break her heart. His hands were soft as they roamed over the curves of her face, callouses scraping across her brows, cheekbones, chin, taking special care around the spot where the saber had taken her vision. Almost like he needed to feel her to believe it was real. “I found you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she could barely grasp his words, not when the same five were pounding through her veins over and over again. “You came back for me.” She swallowed down tears. “After what I did to you, you came back for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at her like she was insane. “Of course I did. I never stopped looking,” he said, tears now falling freely. “Not for a single second of a single day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart sank. “How long?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey, it doesn’t--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long?” she repeated, her words more forceful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe’s face fell. “A little over a year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A year?” She stepped back, her mind racing. A year. She’d lost an entire year here. “Did we… are we…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t finish the thought, but as usual Poe knew exactly what she was trying to say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled, hands flexing at his side like he was stopping himself from reaching out again. “We won. The First Order’s gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gone,” she repeated. Apparently that was all she was capable of these days. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She struggled to wrap her head around that. They’d done it. They’d actually done it. The First Order was gone, the war was over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looked up to find Poe’s eyes on her, watching her every move. He took a step toward her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey, what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I faced Ren,” she answered, one hand coming up to touch the skin above her eyes. It didn’t feel that much different, maybe a little smoother than the rest of her skin, but the way it drew Poe’s eyes told her the evidence was there. “We… fulfilled our destinies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was a kinder, softer way to put it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe had no such qualms. “I felt it. When you died.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey sucked in a breath at hearing those words in plain Basic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We all did,” he added, eyes shining. “Every one who loves you.” She let those words soak into her soul. “Are you really alive?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By way of answer, Rey grabbed his hand, placing it on her breast. And there, just under his palm, beat her heart, steady and alive as ever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe closed his eyes, leaning forward until their foreheads touched. With her hand still on top of his, she squeezed, letting him know she was here. She was really here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does that answer your question?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe nodded, his tears slipping into that dark beard. “How?” he managed to choke out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She reached up to touch his face, her heart breaking slightly when he flinched away from her. Right. There were consequences to her actions. They needed to talk about that. Sooner, rather than later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped her hand. “Poe, I…” she trailed off at the look on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What could she say to him now? How could she justify her actions? What could she possibly say to make this right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had no idea. But she knew where to start. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a breath, visibly calming himself. His throat bobbed with a thick swallow. Rey reminded herself how deep those wounds went. She’d been there for the nightmares and the screams. The years of aftermath. It would be a long while before he trusted her again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So it came as a shock when he reached for her hand. “I know. And we need to talk about it. Later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded, moving as if to take a step back. But Poe’s hand tightened on her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not quite daring to hope, she looked up, meeting those dark eyes. There was wariness there, and a hint of pain, but none of the anger or resentment she’d been expecting. None of the anger or resentment she deserved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe spoke slowly. “I need some time, but I want to know everything. What happened with Ren?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a long story,” she warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. But we have time now. All the time in the galaxy.” There was a smile on his face, the one that went wide and crinkled his eyes. Her favorite kind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He listened patiently as she explained it all. The truth about her parents. The fight to the death with Ren. The dark and the light inside her. The Force that saved her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solana, huh?” he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Rey Solana. I like the sound of that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled wide, cheeks aching. “Me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a good question. They’d been at this long enough that she’d convinced herself there would never be an after, her plans reaching no further than the next fight. But now, there was a future. They had a future. And she finally knew the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looked at him, at the hope and light returning to his face. It would be a long road, but they’d walk it together. She brought a hand up, thumb brushing his cheekbone. “Now, I will not reject my love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She only had a moment to register his smile going wide before she brought his lips to her own. For once, there was no ulterior motive, no combatants breathing down their necks, just the steady beat of their hearts as her lips parted, his tongue slipping against hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was finally their time.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks as always for the lovely support for this story. I'll be all sappy in the notes next week, but I am very much looking forward to sitting down and reading this straight through when I'm done.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Epilogue - I Will Not Be the Last Jedi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finn and Rose receive visitors on Modesta</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>IT'S COMPLETE!</p><p>I'll save all my feelings for the end notes, so enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Modesta was beautiful. Warm, green, peaceful, it was the perfect place to settle down after a war, maybe raise a family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or you know, a dozen or so Force sensitive orphans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The inside of the cabin was dappled in sunlight, the crackling fire and Finn’s steady voice providing a soundtrack as Rose tinkered with an old droid motivator, BB-8 at her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... and the light could be seen from all over the galaxy,” said Finn, the kids gathered around him hanging on his every word. “In every system. Rey gave us all hope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose swallowed. It had been nearly a year since she’d seen her friend, that final conversation taking on a new meaning as time marched on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Na’tina, the tiny Twi’lek girl, spoke up in her adorable little accent, “But how do you know she’s really gone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pregnant pause, one that caused Rose to look up from her work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think she’s gone,” said Finn, his voice soft and understanding. Like it always was with the kids. “I believe…” He trailed off, his eyes meeting hers over the flock of little heads. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew well what he believed, that belief being a sticking point between them. Rose had known, even back on Korilev, that Rey wasn’t coming back. They’d all felt her die on Coruscant. Now, Rose wanted nothing more than to mourn her friend. But Finn still believed. So they kept this constant vigil, the days and months wearing on them both as they waited for a woman who wasn’t coming home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>BB-8 nudged at her calf, a quick reminder of where they were and who they were with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because that was a conversation for closed doors and adults, not a group of kids who had already lost too much in their young lives. So Rose gave Finn a weak smile, encouraging him on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe someday she’ll come back.” Finn’s voice was stronger, bolstered by the show of support. “And when she does, we’ll be here waiting. All of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hope. It was both a blessing and a curse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though not to the kids, who smiled, relieved by Finn’s optimism. That was why Rose never told the stories. At least, not anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on,” said Finn, sensing the restlessness in their young padawans. “Get outside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t need to be told twice, the kids getting up as one and pushing and shoving their way through the narrow front door, BB-8 leading the charge with a binary scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Careful!” called Rose after them. She’d patched up more scraped knees and elbows in the time they’d been here than she could count. “One at a time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn shook his head, a half smile playing on his lips as the last child, a boy of no more than five, tripped his way out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” he said, extending a hand toward her. “Join us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose hesitated. She really should stay here, use the few moments of peace and quiet to finish this motivator and get that old protocol droid working. But the suns were setting and the day was warm and she could hear screams and giggles outside from where the kids were chasing after the nerf foals. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she accepted his hand and followed him out into the sunset, Rose closing her eyes to let the warmth of the dying light play over her skin. Peace. This was what peace felt like.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She went willingly into Finn’s extended arm, tucking herself into his side as they watched the kids play.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dade was there, trying and failing to show the younger kids how to capture one of the foals. The smile on his face made him look younger, carefree in a way his life on Coruscant had never allowed. He was still small, scrawny from the years spent just scraping by, but he’d shot up another two inches since they’d brought him here. It felt like a victory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that was the only victory as he attempted to sneak up on the nerf from behind, lunging a second too late as the animal took off and earning a face full of mud. Once a city boy, always a city boy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Temiri laughed, his years at the fathier stables on Canto Bight showing as he approached the young animal, projecting a calm to put it at ease and allow him close enough to pet it. The ring Rose had given him all those years ago glinted off the dying light of the suns. Though he was older now, he still never took it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In an open pasture, BB-8 chased some of the younger kids around. Or maybe they were chasing him, it didn’t really matter as much as the screaming laughter or the looks of joy on their little faces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose looked up at Finn, his eyes already on her. Suddenly, it didn’t matter that they had built all this for a woman who wasn’t coming home. She would miss Rey fiercely, they both would, but it didn’t negate the fact that they had done something good here. They had saved these children, taken them in, taught them. And they would continue to do so whether or not Rey ever returned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn smiled down at her, pressing a kiss to her forehead as if he’d sensed her realization. And knowing him, he probably had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were perks to a Jedi husband.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, Finn stiffened next to her, body going on high alert. He looked out to the horizon, fear and hope and confusion warring on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finn, what…” she trailed off in the next second, a strange feeling coming over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tremor in the Force.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn turned to her. “Do you feel that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose nodded slowly, turning her attention to the fields. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every one of their students had stopped dead in their tracks, the nerf foals left forgotten as they all stared into the same spot on the horizon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like an eternity, like time had decided to stand still, as they all waited for something to happen. Rose shielded her eyes from the setting suns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then, on the edge of the horizon, a glimmer.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t dare to move, to breathe, to even so much as think as that glimmer grew into a person. No, wait. Two. Their clasped hands backlit in the suns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey and Poe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>BB-8 took off with a binary squeal, heading for his two favorite people in the galaxy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose turned to Finn in disbelief only to find a rather smug smile on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Told you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He earned an elbow to the gut for that remark, and by the time Rose turned back their guests were upon them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked much the same as when they’d parted on Coruscant however many months ago, albeit a little hairier, but Rey, well Rey looked transformed, her head held high and long brown hair falling loose around her shoulders. A vicious looking scared slashed across both eyes, but even from the distance the sparkling hazel looked clear, whole. Like whatever happened to her had been healed at some point. And there was a new peace about her, a perfect balance that manifested in a soft smile and a low thrum of power that followed alongside her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn approached her first, pulling Rey into a tearful hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose gave them their space, meeting Poe’s eyes from just across the group. He looked hopeful for the first time in recent memory, eyes bright and smile wide, like he too couldn’t quite believe they were all here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything that Rose had wished she’d said to her friend, all the words that she’d been holding on for the last year, promptly flew out of her head as Rey turned to her. “It’s you. It’s really you,” she managed to get out before she pulled Rey into a crushing hug, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s arms wrapping around her in response seemed to break the dam.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you here? Where were you? You missed so much. What happened to your face? Is Ren really dead? Why were you gone so long? We built this place for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey laughed when she finally ran out of breath. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, one at a time. What would you like to know first?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose cocked her head. There was something different about Rey, a lightness and surety to her movements that hadn’t been there before. Or maybe it was a quiet balance that spoke to new knowledge. Though whether that was of herself or the galaxy or both, Rose could only guess. She laughed. “Who are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was meant as a joke, a poke at how different she seemed, but Rey’s face turned serious, her next words holding both power and pride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name is Rey Solana, and I will not be the last Jedi.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Holy crap, how do I even comprehend finishing this? When I started this nearly six months ago, I thought it would be an easy project. All the plot was already there, I just had to fill in with the pretty language. Piece of cake, right?</p><p>Wrong. There are some things that are truly meant for the screen and trying to make sense of them on paper, in a cohesive story no less, challenged me in ways I couldn't comprehend before starting this. Not to mention random things that were supposed to be canon in this version that I had to make up on the fly (and Mr. Trevorrow, if you ever happen to read this (hah), reach out because I have questions, sir). I learned so much about writing and storytelling though that I wouldn't change the experience for the world.</p><p>This story forced me to become a better writer, and I truly love it for that. Huge thanks to everyone who read or kudosed or dropped a word of encouragement. Each and every one of you helped me get through the rough chapters and the self doubt. Thank you. I hope you guys enjoyed my take on this alternate Episode IX even half as much as I enjoyed writing it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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